Returning - W/S
by Kylia
Summary: Spike & Willow are Forced to return ro Sunnydale when Angelus returns.


**Returning**

**By [Kylia][1]**

**TITLE: Returning**   
**AUTHOR: Kylia (kylia_bug@yahoo.com)**   
**DISCLAIMER: Nobody belongs to me, unfortunately. They belong to Joss & Mutant Enemy, and a few other people I don't know.**   
**RATING: PG13 (for now, although that may change)**   
**SPOILERS:**   
**CATEGORY: Willow/Spike**   
**SUMMARY: Willow and Spike are forced to return to Sunnydale when Angelus returns.**   
**DISTRIBUTION: Fire & Ice, WitchFanFic, anyone else, ask, and you shall receive**   
**AUTHOR"S NOTES: This takes place a few years into the future.**   
**DEDICATION: For Elka & Inell for providing me with a never-ending Fic fix!**   
**********

From the moment Willow stepped off of the plane, she had the feeling of being watched. It wasn't something she could pinpoint really; it was just a feeling. The airport was almost completely empty, and she could sense someone was following her, but when she turned around, she found herself alone. * I'm not back for five minutes and already I'm being stalked! * She laughed to herself as she approached the rental car counter.   
She had decided to rent a car and drive the two hours to Sunnydale. If she didn't stop she should make it by sunrise. It was just before four a.m. Willow was exhausted. Her flight had taken longer than expected. There was a delay in New York, when she had to change flights. Truthfully all she wanted to do was find a hotel and crash for the day, but she couldn't wait.   
Buffy had sounded hysterical when she called. She wouldn't tell her what was going on, only that she had to come home. Willow had been reluctant at first. It had been over five years since she left Sunnydale. A lot had changed in that time. She had changed. She knew she couldn't return home and be what they expected her to be, nor did she expect them to accept her for what she had become.

************

Giles brought Buffy a warm cup of Coffee, and sat down on the couch across from her. Buffy looked exhausted. Like she hadn't slept in several weeks, which was fairly accurate. Buffy had been having terrible nightmares. At first it was a lot of images that didn't make any sense, but as the days passed, they became clearer, and what she saw there frightened her.   
"Do you think she'll come?" Buffy asked, without looking up.   
"Well, uh, yes. She should be here in a few hours." Giles answered. Truthfully he wasn't sure of anything. Willow had told him she'd be there, but he wouldn't believe it until she had arrived.

**********

Cordelia walked into the office, and sat down at her desk. She was early. It was only six-thirty but she had a lot to do, or so she told herself. In truth she was just worried, and wanted to be nearby should Angel call. He had been missing for three days, and she was starting to fear the worse. He had disappeared before, but never for so long and never without calling.   
When the phone rang she nearly jumped out of her skin. She just stared at it for a moment, afraid to answer it, afraid of who was on the other line.   
"Hello?" She asked shakily.   
"Put Peaches on!" Snapped a decidedly British accent.   
"He's not here." She heard a growl on the other end of the line.   
"Where is he?"   
"I, uh, I don't know"   
"Bloody Hell!! When did you see him last?" Spike asked, trying to remain calm.   
"About three days ago. Do you know where he is?" Cordelia didn't know why she expected Spike to tell her anything. He hated Angel. But she was running out of ideas.   
"No. But I'll be there tomorrow. If you see him before I get there, tell him not to go ANYWHERE!!" He slammed down the phone before she had a chance to respond.   
"Rude much?" She muttered after hanging up the phone.

Cordelia hadn't called anyone about Angel's disappearance, outside of Los Angeles. She didn't want Buffy involved. Things had been difficult enough between her boss and the slayer, she was hoping to be able to handle this herself. Consequently, she was relieved that Spike would be coming. If anyone could find Angel, she was sure he could, assuming of course he wanted to find his sire.

**********

"Marcus!" Spike bellowed after hanging up the phone.   
"Master." Marcus entered the room carefully. The master had only been home less than an hour, and he was not in a good mood. He had returned to find the Mistress gone, and wasn't very happy about it.   
"Get some of the boys. We're going on a trip!" Spike snapped.   
After Marcus had left he returned to his dinner. He had found a young girl wandering the streets alone. Stupid chit! He couldn't resist. He knew that Willow wouldn't be pleased that he brought her home instead of finishing her off on the street. But the girl was young, probably a virgin. He wanted to savor it.   
However he had lost his appetite when he had discovered that Willow wasn't even home. She had gone to Sunnydale. No one knew why, but spike knew it had to have been important. She hadn't been to Sunnydale in almost six years. Spike had called Angel, hoping he may have had an idea why his love had gone, only to find out Angel was missing. He didn't know what was going on, but he sure as hell wasn't going to sit around and wait to find out!

***********

When he had first awakened, he was disoriented. He didn't know where he was, or even who he was, but after a few minutes, it all came flooding back to him. He had thought to go home, to where he had lived for the last seven years, but that thought didn't appeal to him, so instead he decided he would visit some old friends. He chuckled at the thought.

He had barely made it into the city limits when the sun started to rise. Luckily there was a hotel just inside of town. He would stay there for the day.

********

Willow had just barely made it to Giles house when the sun started to rise. She had made good time. She stood on the doorstep for a moment, her presence masked by the shaded tree. She didn't know what she would find inside, but she had a feeling that whatever her life had been, whatever her life had become, it was about to be shaken up, again.

*******

Buffy had finally fallen asleep on Giles couch. She was so exhausted, she didn't hear the knock on the door. Giles was somewhat surprised to open the door and find Willow standing on the other side, alone. He realized that a part of him hadn't really expected her to come. He just stood there staring at her for a moment. She looked the same, but yet different. Her red hair was longer than when he'd last seen her but not as long as when he first met her. Although she didn't appear to look much older, there was something about her eyes. They seemed to speak volumes. The sparkle was still there, but it was mixed with something else. Knowledge. Her goodness was still there, but not her innocence. She was no longer the shy Willow he remembered, she had blossomed into a capable young women.

"Willow, please come in." He moved aside so that she could enter.   
"It's good to see you."   
"You too, Giles." Willow smiled at her old friend, and then turned to the couch, where Buffy had fallen asleep.   
"She hasn't been sleeping well. She's been having nightmares." Giles told her with a touch of sadness in his voice.   
"Is that why I'm here? She is having dreams? Are they prophecy dreams?" Willow asked remembering all the times Buffy had dreamt of something that was destined to happen.

Giles turned away from Willow, and headed into the kitchen. "I'll let her fill you in." He was hoping to avoid any more questions. "How, How was your flight?"   
Willow smiled at him, her eyes showing a hint of mischief. "Can I use your phone? I didn't have time to tell Spike where I was going."   
Giles nodded and she headed towards the phone.

******

Xander lay in his bed, pretending to be asleep. He heard her move around the room, trying to get dressed. After several minutes she left him alone to continue getting ready. He breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that she wouldn't return to their room. There was no such luck. After ten minutes she returned to the bedroom, and waited. After fifteen long minutes of agonizing silence, Xander opened up one eye, and then another, only to discover that she was staring him, with an expression she had frequently used when she was still a demon.

"You're coming." Anya said decisively. Xander shook his head.   
"If you don't come, she'll think that you don't approve." She tried to convince him.   
"Then she would be right!" Xander snapped as he walked out onto the terrace.

*******

Just inside the city limits of Sunnydale, a demon watched, and waited. He hoped his master would be pleased. The destruction of the world was imminent, this he knew. Almost a decade ago, his master had been so close to being freed. Angelus had been so close to waken Acathla and sucking the world into hell. But the slayer had prevented his master's freedom. That would not happen again, he would make sure of that. He knew that bringing Angelus back would be a tricky situation, but one worth the risk.   
His master had told him not to pursue his plan of returning Angelus to his former glory. He had thought it was too dangerous. There were too many variables. But the demon felt it was worth the risk. Angelus' reign of terror had been unparalleled. Plus the slayer had been unable to kill him, which would work to their advantage.   
The demon chuckled to himself as he watched Angelus return home, to Sunnydale. The slayer had no idea what awaited them.

********

Daylight sucked. If there was only one thing he knew without a doubt, it was that. Spike had been forced to wait until the sunset to see Cordelia, and find out what was going on. He briefly entertained the idea that his sire had returned home. But only briefly. Peaches wasn't the type to disappear for several days, not unless something was seriously wrong.

When he reached Angel's office, if you could call it that, he discovered that not only hadn't his sire returned, but that someone, or something had spent a fair amount of time destroying the interior of the building.   
He found Cordelia hunched over in a small corner, unconscious. He picked her up and carried her down to Angel's living room and set her on the couch. He was half tempted to kill her, and be done with it, however, Spike realized that that wouldn't help in his search for answers. That and he didn't relish explaining to his mate why he felt the need to drain her friend. So instead he waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Soon after he arrived, Cordelia regained consciousness. At first he didn't know where she was, or how she had gotten there. But after a few confused moments, she realized she was in Angel's apartment. When she saw Spike watching her from a chair few feet away, she remembered what had happened.

She had been waiting for Doyle to return, hopefully with news about Angel, when she had been attacked, by a demon she didn't recognize. At first she had thought he wanted information, but Cordelia dismissed that idea, when the demon didn't ask her any questions, and had instead started to destroy the office. She started to protest, only to thrown across the room for her trouble.

She didn't know how long she had been unconscious. If it had been minutes, hours, or even days. And it was obvious from the expression Spike had on his face that he knew less than she did. She felt oddly comfortable knowing he was there. She had no delusions that had it not been for Spike's desire to find Angel, she would probably be dead already. Even so, she was glad to see him.   
"How long, how long have I been…"   
" I don't know. I just got here myself." Spikes calm tone belied his mood. Cordelia nodded.   
"Care to tell me what happened, ducks?"

Cordelia proceeded to tell him everything she could remember. After hearing everything she said, he was more confused than before.   
"How long has Peaches been gone?" Spike was using every ounce of control to not snap the chit's neck and get the information his own way. However he was reminded once again how his mate would react.

**********

When she had called home, Willow discovered that Spike had left shortly after he had returned home to find her gone. She wasn't surprised. Spike was very impatient. She hadn't expected him to sit home and wait for her to return. She was surprised however to learn that he had gone to see Angel. One of the boys had told her that when Spike telephoned him, he learned Angel had gone missing. Willow also knew that somehow whatever was happening to Buffy also involved Angel. The two instances were not as separate as they appeared. She realized Spike would come to the same conclusion. She only hoped that Spike would be able to shed some more light on the situation than what she was able to discover.   
Giles had refused to tell her anything until Buffy herself was awake. She had only learned that Buffy had been experiencing a series of nightmares recently. She feared they were prophetic. That was all Giles felt comfortable in revealing.

Buffy had awoken almost thirty minutes ago, and they were enduring a comfortable silence. Anya had shown up a few minutes ago, making an excuse for why Xander wasn't there. She tried to make it sound believable, but Willow knew better. Xander had not been understanding when she had left Sunnydale six years ago, and his feelings hadn't changed.   
Willow hoped he would come around, but she wasn't going to make excuses for her life, so she let the matter drop. She smiled at her old friends, and tried to ease the tension.   
"So, how have you been?" Willow realized the question sounded completely ridiculous, but at this rate, she would grow old before Buffy would tell her why she had called her.

Buffy smiled uneasily at her old friend. She felt uncomfortable. She had neglected to remain in contact with her over the years. Giles spoke to her at least once a month, but Buffy herself only spoke to her a few times a year. When she did talk to her, things were awkward. Buffy hadn't been thrilled when Willow left with Spike, but she had accepted it. However, she still felt odd discussing her work with someone who spent all of her time with that which she was destined to destroy.   
When she had picked up the phone to call her, she knew it was necessary. But that didn't change the awkwardness that they were facing now.

"About three weeks ago I started having nightmares. At first it was just flashes. Images that didn't make any sense. But as the dreams continued, they became clearer. Some of them are more like memories. Pictures of the past. Of Angel, and Druscilla, and Acathla. Of the night that… that I sent him to hell. But others, are things that never happened, at least as far as I know. Images of death, and destruction. Of demons that I don't know, of powers that couldn't possibly exist." Buffy paused in her explanation, waiting for Willow's reaction.   
"You think these are prophecy dreams?" It was a statement. Buffy nodded. She was about to continue when there was a knock at the door.

Giles opened up the door, to find angel standing there.   
"Angel?" Giles was surprised to see the vampire there. He didn't know he had left Los Angeles.   
"Hi, Giles. Can I come in?" He asked, peering inside. Giles nodded and moved aside to let him in.

Angel walked into the room, and took a look around. Buffy was there. She looked upset. And Xander's demon girlfriend was also there. He was surprised to find Willow sitting on the couch, her back to him. She stood up and turned around. Her green eyes staring into his dark ones. In her eyes, he saw acknowledgement. He didn't know how, but she sensed the change. She smiled as she approached him.   
"Angel. How nice to see you." She gave him a hug. "How long have you been here?" She tore her eyes away from him, and turned to Giles, "Can you excuse us for a second?" Giles nodded and Willow turned back to Angel. She motioned for him to follow her outside.

When they were alone in the cool night air, Willow turned around to face her mate's sire.   
"Willow." He wondered what the witch had to say to him. She smiled easily at him.   
"Angelus." Her eyes sparkling with the knowledge that Angelus had indeed returned.

********   
Angelus stared at Willow for a moment, trying to decide if he could bluff his way out. He didn't think he could, but he had to try.   
"Willow? Is something wrong?' He asked, trying to impersonate the brooding tones of his other self.   
Willow looked up at him humor in her green eyes, "Don't bother. I don't know how it happened, and I don't really care." She let her words sink in before she continued. "However, this is not a place you should be. It won't take long for them to notice the change."

He stared at the redhead for a second in awe and confusion. "You aren't going to tell them?"

Willow smiled at her lover's sire, "No. But…"

Her words were cut off as Buffy came outside to see what was keeping her friend, and her former lover. She noticed a confused look on Angel's face and wondered what they were discussing.   
"Angel? What are you doing here?"

Angelus turned to the slayer and forced a small smile. "I, uh, I was in the neighborhood. I heard Willow was in town, so I thought I stop by." He realized that his excuse sounded flimsy, but Buffy had never been one to put too much thought into things. "I do have to go though. Maybe I can come by tomorrow?" He asked, half-hoping she would turn him down. Buffy nodded as she returned to the warmth of Giles house.

Willow started to follow her into the house, but stopped and turned her gaze to Angelus; "We'll talk later. Our old house, after sunrise." She didn't wait for him to respond, instead walking into Giles house.

*******

Angelus watched Willow go into the watcher's house and chuckled to himself. His childe had picked well. She was definitely a keeper. As he walked the streets of Sunnydale his mind was brought back to the last time he had been here. Acathla. That had been a disaster. He realized that he had been going about things all wrong. Hell, he had been wrong about just about everything then. He had let the slayer cloud his judgement. He had believed his Childe weak, and he played an old game for far too long. He missed the way things used to be. A little death, a little destruction. He missed his family. He vowed to do things differently this time around.

He was also aware that someone had been watching him. Someone who had brought him back for their own reasons. But that didn't matter. All that did was that he was back, and he wasn't going anywhere.

**********

Willow walked into the house bracing herself for the questions that would follow. She knew they would wonder what Angel was doing there and what she had to discuss with him. She also knew they wouldn't want to hear her answers.

"Willow?" Buffy asked as she sat in the big chair in Giles Living room.   
"What was that about? Why is he here?"   
Willow sat across from her old friend and smiled, "I don't know why he was here. He said he was in the neighborhood, I assume that to be true. I didn't really get a chance to ask. Maybe he'll tell you tomorrow?" Buffy nodded and continued to fill her in on her nightmares.

As Willow listened to Buffy describe her dreams, she was struck with the notion that they were somehow directly connected to Angelus' return. She had been honest when she told him she didn't care how it had happened, but now she wondered if there was something else going on.

After almost two hours of talking to Buffy, and trying to convince her everything was fine, Willow stood up to leave. "I have to go. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some new news." Willow headed towards the door giving Giles a hug as she left.

After she had walked several feet she realized she was being followed. She stopped and turned around.   
"Anya." She smiled easily as the former demon. "Is something wrong?"   
Anya returned the smile. "No. But I just thought I would warn you."   
"Warn me?" Willow asked, slightly confused.   
"Spike is coming? Angelus is here. They will not understand. But…"   
Willow looked intently at the ex-demon, trying to grasp what she was saying, "But... you do?"   
Anya nodded, "yes. If you need some interference, call me." Anya turned and left before Willow had a chance to respond.   


************

It was dark, not a star in the sky. She frowned. She liked the stars. She wondered what had happened to them, but then she remembered. Daddy had returned, this time without the nasty slayers help. She smiled wickedly as she walked out of the door, leaving her latest demon lover sprawled across the bed, oblivious to her departure.

********

Spike entered Sunnydale in his usual fashion, knocking over the welcome sign. He had to laugh. At first he was unsure of where to go first. Would his lover be at the watcher's? He glanced at the clock and realized it was sunrise. She wouldn't have remained there this late. So he headed to the house they had lived in before their move to Europe. They had never sold it, so that was most likely where she would spend the day.

********

Angelus sat in the old house waiting. He wondered for a moment if Willow had decided to spend the day with the watcher, but then realized that wasn't very likely. He thought about going to look for her when he heard someone enter the house.

He knew it wasn't willow. It only took him a second to realize who it was. He walked out into the living room to greet his favorite childe, wondering how long it would take him to sense the change. He didn't have to wait long.   


**********

Spike entered the house knowing he was not alone. He walked into the living room and saw his sire standing in the middle of the room. He appeared to be admiring the décor. Spike chuckled to himself as he saw a familiar spark in the older vampire's eyes. "Angelus."

*********

When Willow approached her house, she heard laughter coming from inside and she briefly wondered if Angelus had brought someone with him. But as she entered the room, she felt the familiar pull. Spike. He had arrived. She smiled as she entered the living room. Both Vampires looked up and smiled.

"I see you've found him."

************

Willow walked into the living room and smiled. Spike and Angelus were sitting and talking. Not killing each other, not growling, just talking. They seemed to be reminiscing about some time long ago.

Willow couldn't explain what it was that told her that Angelus had returned. She had just known. She felt it when he entered Giles house. There was an energy in the room. A presence. A force to be reckoned with. Something that was absent in Angel.

She had loathed the terror he brought down on Sunnydale almost a decade ago. But there was something about Angelus that had sparked her interest. He was intriguing. She had found him to be somewhat intoxicating, so much so, that a part of her was sorry to see his soul restored. But only a small part. She realized the necessity. Angelus was dangerous. He needed to be stopped. Since that time, she found herself wondering what he had been like, before. Before he had lost his soul for the second time. When Spike had first known him.

Spike had told her stories of the old Angelus. The one he had missed. The one he had hoped had returned. Willow felt bad for her lover when she had heard all of the stories of the several months Angelus had spent on the Hellmouth. He was evil. Sadistic, even more so than he had been in the past. He was so angry and revolted over his feelings for the slayer, that he had let it cloud his mind. The Angelus that Spike had known was gone. Only to be replaced by a creature not to his liking.

Looking at her lover and his sire, Willow realized that Angelus had returned. Not the Angelus she had known, but the one from before, the one she wanted to know.

********

Cordelia drove her car into the Sunnydale city limits and sighed. She noticed the welcome sign had been run over, and realized that Spike was already here.

After she had explained what had happened, Spike had left. He didn't tell her where he was going, but after a few well placed phone calls, she had discovered that Willow had returned to Sunnydale. It didn't take a genius to realize Spike wouldn't be far behind.   
She only hoped that Angel was there as well. It had been almost five days since she'd heard from him. Even Doyle was getting worried, and that concerned her even more.   
So they had decided to go to Sunnydale and see for themselves. Cordelia didn't dare call Giles, or the others. She didn't want to have to explain to them that Angel had disappeared. If it turned out he was there, and nothing was wrong, she would look like an idiot. And if it didn't… well, she'd worry about that later.

After she parked her car in the parking lot of the hotel, she turned to her passenger. He was sleeping. She nudged him, softly at first. And then harder. He finally opened one eye.   
"We're here." She told him flatly. She was tired. She hadn't slept in days. "I'm gonna get us a room. Can you get the bags?" Cordelia climbed out of the car and headed into the building.

She knew she should have gone straight to see Giles, but she was exhausted, and she looked like shit. She wasn't in the mood to deal with anybody just yet.

**********

Buffy went home to change and take a shower. She had spent the night at Giles' house, not wanting to go home to her empty house. It was strange. Willow had been gone for so long that she had almost forgot what it was like having her around. But she had changed. Buffy had to keep reminding herself of that. She looked almost the same, but she was different. She could see the subtle differences. She was sorry that she hadn't kept in better touch with her friend, and silently vowed to change that.

After her shower, Buffy thought about everything that had happened the previous night. Willow didn't seem to be too surprised when she had told her about her dreams. It was almost as if she had been expecting them. Even when she had told her about the one, which told of an evil, force returning to the Hellmouth. Something that would try and re-open the portal which led to the demon dimension. The dreams had started out as flashes. Nothing concrete, but then, the images began to form into something else. No two were ever the same, but there was one constant. Angelus. They scared her. She wanted to believe that they were just dreams, but she was afraid that if she ignored them, what she saw in them would come to pass. She knew that if what she saw in the dreams was real, Angelus would try and re-open the portal, just like he had before, with Acathla, and she didn't think she could kill him, again.

Buffy had tried to call Angel several times. But every time she would either get the answering machine, or Cordelia would tell her he was out. She would actually breathe a sigh of relief when Cordelia answered. Then she would know everything was fine. If it wasn't, Cordelia would tell her, wouldn't she?

********

The demon sat back and watched. Everything was falling into place. Angelus had returned to the Hellmouth. No one knew he was back, save the redheaded witch. But she hadn't told anyone. He hadn't expected that. She was smarter than he had given her credit. He figured she would have run and told the slayer. Instead she had lied. He briefly wondered why, but then decided it didn't matter. She couldn't stop what he had set into motion.

He realized she could try and restore Angelus' soul, like she did before, but that was impossible. It was lost forever. He had made sure of it.

The demon chuckled to himself while he waited for events to unfold.

*************

She sat on the train and watched as the clouds parted in the night sky, to allow her to see the stars. * They're prettier than I remember * She thought to herself.   
She was anxious. She couldn't wait to get to Sunnydale. To her Daddy. She briefly wondered if it had changed. She wondered if the Slayer was still there with her merry band of do-gooders. Then she remembered, and she giggled evilly at the knowledge.

*******   
Willow walked over to Spike and kissed him tenderly. "I missed you." She whispered. He wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her onto his lap. Spike attacked her warm lips passionately, oblivious to the amused witness sitting only a couple of feet away.

Willow pulled her lips away from Spike, gasping for breath. "How was your trip?" She asked, "Successful?" She smiled mischievously at her lover.

"Very." He smirked cockily at her, and then turned his attention to his sire.   
"Are you responsible for this?" Spike was looking at Angelus, but his question was clearly aimed at Willow.

"Me? No. Why would you think I had anything to do with this?" She asked innocently, eliciting an amused chuckle from Angelus.

"What?" She turned her gaze to the dark-haired vampire.

Angelus laughed. It was a deep, hearty laugh. Nothing like what could be heard coming from his souled counterpart.   
"You forget, little one, I know you. I was on the receiving end of many late night phone calls. How soon we forget." His voice was silky, laughing, but not mocking. Not taunting, the way she remembered Angelus to be. It was then that Willow was reminded once again that this Angelus was not the once she had known almost a decade ago.

Willow grinned. "Yes, I suppose I did. You've changed." She turned to look at Spike, "But I didn't do this. I wouldn't do this, not without telling you. You realize that, don't you?" Her voice had grown serious, imploring Spike to know that what she said was true.

"Yes, luv. I know. But that doesn't explain how it did happen." He looked pointedly at his sire.

Angelus grinned wickedly, a sparkle in his eyes, "How do you know it didn't happen the same way as before?"

Willow shook her head. "Not bloody likely." She smiled at her use of Spike's colorful inflections. "You, the other you, wouldn't have risked it. Besides, it couldn't have happened that way. I made sure of it." She paused, and noticing the confusion on the faces of both vampires, she continued, "When I did the soul restoration, I modified it. Your soul was permanent. Or at least it should have been. No act of happiness should have removed it." She stood up and walked around the room for a few moments.

"No, this was deliberate. Whoever did this, did it on purpose. It would have required powerful magic. Not very many people would have been able to pull it off, at least not many that knew you, and that would have been a necessity."

"Could you have done it?" Angelus' words were almost a whisper.

Willow turned and glared the vampire with angry green eyes.

"I didn't say you did it, I just asked if you could."

Willow's temper calmed as she considered his question. "Yes, I could. But, I didn't, which begs the question who did? And why?"

********

Buffy went to sleep that evening feeling better than she had in days. The dreams still terrified her, but she knew that Willow help them figure out what was going on. She deeply regretted her separation from her red-haired friend. She had told her many times that she didn't blame her, but the truth was she did, and she had for a long time. She tried to forget about what had happened six years ago, but the memory haunted her. Willow had made her choice all those years ago, and although she had told Buffy it didn't mean she didn't love them anymore, her place was somewhere else. She had tried to understand, at least she told herself she had tried, but she hadn't not really.   
Buffy had tried to compare her relationship with Angel with Willow's with Spike, but even as she tried, she knew it wasn't the same. The love was there, maybe that was the same, but that was where the similarities had ended.   
If Buffy were being honest with herself, she would admit to ignoring certain parts of Angel. She tried to pretend he wasn't something that he was. She treated him as though the demon didn't exist, as him that was separate, when it wasn't. When he had changed, it was like a brutal slap in the face. As much as she loved Angel, she hated Angelus, and she couldn't reconcile the two.   
When he had returned from hell, Buffy tried to rekindle their love, but she couldn't pretend he wasn't a demon, not anymore. And she couldn't completely love him, knowing that part of him was still there. Willow tried to console her. She told her about the modified curse. How there was no danger of Angelus returning. That knowledge somehow made it worse. Things would never go back to the way they were, and Buffy wasn't sure she wanted them to.

Willow was different. She loved Spike completely, demon and all. She didn't try to ignore parts of him, she reveled in them. Willow had changed when she got involved with Spike. At first Buffy tried to tell herself, Spike had changed her. He had tainted her purity, her innocence. It wasn't true. Willow was still good, pure of heart. She wasn't innocent, but she hadn't been for a long time. Everyone had failed to see the changes, but they were there just the same.

Buffy tried to accept the new Willow, and might have succeeded, had it not happened. The event that changed all of there lives. It was evil, not unlike any they had faced together before. But this time, they weren't together. This time, they were divided. It was then that Buffy realized things would never be the same again.

********

Anya watched as Xander silently scowled. She knew it wouldn't be long before he buckled under the pressure and asked her about Willow's visit. She hadn't spoken to him since she returned. She didn't tell him about her meeting with Willow, or that Angel had returned. It was more accurate to say that Angelus had returned, but that was something she wasn't going to reveal, yet.   
Anya had meant what she said about helping Willow, when the need arose. She wasn't sure how she knew it was Angelus, and not Angel, that had shown up at the watcher's house. She just did. She had met Angel only a small handful of times, and then only briefly. And she had only met Angelus once, but that was nearly two centuries ago. Her memory of him had been etched into her brain. He wasn't someone you forgot, no matter how long it had been. He had been young then. She had just finished cursing a village boy for some indiscretions and had decided to stop and pay and old friend a visit.

Angelus was Darla's newest childe and it pleased her to show him off to her old friends. Anya had been taken with him then, and had she not had duties to attend to, she may have stayed longer. She had thought about him frequently over the centuries. It was a strange bit of irony that she be stuck, as a mortal, with the same people that knew him; even it was a different him than she had known.

She wondered if Angel remembered her. He never let on that he did, and she was sure he never mentioned her to Buffy.

A small smile came to her lips. Things were about to get very interesting. And she would have a front row seat.

*******   
She walked slowly, albeit deliberately through the night air. A change was coming, she could feel it. The stars were whispering to her. Actually it was more like a growl, but there nonetheless. Things were righting themselves. Her Daddy had come home. She wasn't sure why, or how, but this time, things would work out. Things would be perfect.

As she neared Sunnydale, she could smell it. There was power. A great power in the air. It made the feel of the Hellmouth weak in comparison. Soon, she would be back where she belonged, with her family.

*******

The demon Chuckled to himself, knowing that his wait was almost over. Soon, The world would end, and his master would be free, to reign once again.   
*****   
**********

Willow took slow, deliberate steps through the living room, stopping every once in awhile to look between the two vampires. Angelus watched her with interest. He could see the wheels turning inside her head. He turned to his childe. "She's fascinating." Spike nodded. "Pet, C'mere. Tell me what you're thinking." He motioned for Willow to sit on his lap. Willow turned towards her lover and started to walk towards him when she got this dazed look in her eyes. Spike had seen that look before. He could almost see the hair on the back of her neck standing up. "Luv, What is it?" He asked cautiously. Willow stopped and turned her gaze towards the front of the house as they heard the front door open.   
From the position of the living room, they couldn't see who had entered, but both vampires could feel the presence. It was strong, familiar.   


*****   
Willow walked into the entrance way towards their visitor, and smiled, "Druscilla."

The raven-haired vampiress swayed towards Willow. "Little Tree."   
Willow chuckled at Druscilla's nickname. "Spike didn't tell me you were coming."   
Druscilla took a step closer to the witch, "I didn't tell him." She lowered her voice a notch, "Is Daddy here?" She asked.   
Willow grinned. "Come, I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you." She headed back into the living room, followed by Druscilla.

*******

The demon watched the scene unfolding. He was very pleased with himself. All of the elements were together now. It was only a matter of time before Angelus completed his task. He chuckled, thinking of how pleased his master would be.

******

Buffy awoke in a cold sweat. Her dream had been worse than any before. She looked at the clock and wondered it if was too late to call Giles. Four-thirty. She wondered if Willow was still awake. She tried to shake the images out of her foggy mind but they wouldn't go away. Buffy picked up the phone and dialed the number Willow had left her. On the fifth ring, it was answered.   
"Hello?"   
"Hello? Is Willow there?" Buffy asked wearily, not recognizing the voice on the other end.   
"Who's calling?" Marcus asked.   
"Buffy" She answered.   
"Hold on a second." Buffy thought she heard the man growl, but decided she must be hearing things. After several moments of silence Buffy heard an extension being picked up.   
"Buffy?" Willow's concerned voice calmed Buffy slightly.   
"Willow. Sorry. Did I wake you?"   
"No. I was just filling Spike in on everything." She told her old friend.   
"You told Spike?" Buffy asked incredulously, and then realized what Willow had said. "Spike… Spike is here?" She asked, her concern growing.   
"Yes, Buffy," Willow started, trying to remain calm, "We don't have any secrets."   
"I know, Willow, I'm sorry. I just… I don't know, I'm sorry."   
Willow smiled, "It's okay. What's wrong? Did you have another dream?"   
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. It was worse than any of the others. Do you think you can come over?"   
"Yeah, sure, but it'll have to wait a few hours. I need to take care of some things here first. Will you be okay until then?" She asked worriedly.   
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll see you then." Buffy hung up the phone and smiled sadly, wondering what things Willow had to take care of. She hoped nothing was wrong.

*******

Willow couldn't help but giggle at the look of astonishment on Angelus' face when Druscilla walked into the room. She came and sat down next to him after giving Spike a hug.   
"Druscilla? What are you doing here?" He was shocked. He hadn't seen his insane childe since he was sent to hell, nearly a decade earlier.   
"Daddy. You've come back." She hugged him tightly, and then turned her gaze to Willow. "Little Tree, Do you know why Daddy has returned?"

Willow shook her head, "No, It would have required strong magic."   
"I don't care about who, I want to know why!" Angelus snapped.   
"They want to darken the skies," Druscilla told her sire, "They want you to bring the evil forth." Her eyes had glazed over and her voice had taken on a singsong voice. Willow walked up to the vampiress and gently took her hand and led her away, "Come with me Druscilla." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. The two women disappeared down the hall.   
Angelus turned to his favorite childe. "Where is she taking her?" He asked, perplexed. Spike chuckled, "Willow is going to help clear her mind. A lot had changed since you've been … away."

*******

Willow led Druscilla to an empty bedroom. It was decorated in softly colored satins. Druscilla sat on the bed and looked at Willow, as if she didn't really see her but was looking at something past her.

"Dru, sweetie, I want you look at me. Look into my eyes. Can you do that?" Willow asked in a soothing voice as she sat down next to the vampiress. Druscilla looked into Willows eyes and for the first time it appeared that she could see into her very soul. "Little Tree has power." She said with a smile. Willow nodded, "yes, Dru. Can you see the power? Can you feel it? It won't hurt you, okay?" Druscilla nodded, and Willow continued. She looked deeply into Druscilla's eyes, until she could see inside of her. To her core, her very center. She saw the chaos there, and was pleased to discover it was less chaotic than the last time she had come here. The last time she had brought sanity to the vampiress. She felt her power reaching out, like tendrils to embrace the vampire. They reached past the surface, past the demon and into the expanse of nothingness that seemed to claim her. After several moments, Willow could feel the piece rejoining one another. Like shards of a broken glass that were being mended to perfection.   
When she was finished, Willow closed her eyes, breaking the connection between the two. Her head felt heavy, her body weak. Druscilla gently laid Willow down across the bed to rest. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Willow heard the telephone ring.

"It's the slayer." Druscilla whispered. "She's had another dream. She knows what's coming, but she can't stop it. She won't know how."

Willow smiled at the sanity interspersed in Druscilla's words. She stood up on shakily legs and tried to regain her balance as Marcus Entered the room.

"Mistress? You have a telephone call. The Slayer."

Willow smiled at the irritation in the vampire's voice and she picked up the telephone.

*******

Druscilla walked back into the living room. Spike grinned at her. "Dru? How is Willow?" He asked, seeing the clarity in Druscilla's eyes.

"She'll be fine. She's talking to the slayer. She's had another dream." She smiled wickedly at her sire.

"Another dream?" Angelus asked, as Willow returned to the room.

"That was Buffy, and I think it's time we figured out what exactly is going on. I don't like being a pawn in somebody else's game." Willow's voice was sharp, her green eyes glinting dangerously as she joined the three vampires.

********

Anya opened her eyes, and quietly left her bed. She walked out onto the terrace and looked up into the night sky. Every muscle in her body was tense, every hair standing on edge. She hadn't felt this leery since she had become mortal. A change was coming, she could feel it. She inhaled deeply, trying to gage the air. Trying to see if there was something different about it. She could smell it. The stench. It was unmistakable.   
"L'Liarion." She whispered, hoping she was wrong, but knowing she wasn't.

********

Anya walked in from outside and realized that her past was coming back to haunt her. It had been three centuries since she had seen him, but he was always with her. The memory was always haunting her. She could still remember the smell of the charred flesh. She could still remember the screams. She could still remember the sight of the bodies. People she had killed. The innocents that had died, because she had granted the wish. It was the only time she had ever regretted her job. It was the only time she had ever been sorry she had met D'Hoffryn. It was the only time when she would have welcomed death. It was also the only time when the wish wouldn't be granted.   
Anya shook herself out of her memories, refusing to let him get the better of her. She needed to get out, and warn someone that L'Larion had returned. That couldn't be good. She knew just who to tell.

Xander came out of the bedroom just as she was walking out the door.   
"Anya? Where are you going?" It's the middle of the night." Anya stopped in front of the door, and wished, for the second time in two days that she slept alone.   
"Out. I have something I need to do." She didn't wait for him to question her further. Instead, she walked out the door, and headed towards the only person in Sunnydale she felt she could trust at that moment.

*******

Willow arrived at Buffy's house two hours after she had spoken to the slayer. She didn't know what she was expecting to happen. She didn't know what Buffy's dream had been about, or what she could tell her to make her fell better.   
She had spent the past two hours trying to figure out what had happened. What had caused Angel to revert to his former glory? What was causing Buffy's nightmares, and most important, what they could do about them.

When she entered Buffy's living room, she found the slayer asleep on the couch. She sat down on the edge, and put her hands on either side of Buffy's head. She used her mind to reach inside the slayers. She knew that she shouldn't. What she was doing was a violation, but she needed to know what they were up against. What Buffy had seen in her head?   
  
As she pushed forward with her mind, she was flooded with images. At first they were moving so quickly, they were fuzzy, and unorganized. The further into the slayer's mind she went, the clearer the images. The changed rapidly, but she kept coming back to one in particular. Acathla. It had been nine years since Angelus had almost awakened the stone demon. Willow found it strange that this particular image was haunting the girl.   
As she pushed further into her old friend's subconscious, she was assaulted by memories. Angelus. He was taunting her, terrorizing her. And if that wasn't enough she was being bombarded with visions of Angel's time in hell. Willow didn't know how Buffy would know anything bout his experiences there. He had never discussed with her, but yet, here they were.   
As she pushed further, past Angel's memories, came her own betrayal. Vivid recollections of the event that had changed all their lives. Willow saw what had happened, as Buffy had seen it, and was astonished at the lack of understanding the found there.   
She abruptly cut off the connection and ran out of the house before Buffy even knew she had been there.

******

Druscilla awoke to a pounding at the front door. She got out of bed and walked to the door. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find someone she recognized. Not from ever having met the girl before, but from seeing her inside her head, in her visions.   
  
The girl stepped into the house, without waiting for an invitiation. She looked at Druscilla strangely for a moment.

"Little tree isn't here." Druscilla told her, as she followed the girl into the living room.

Anya turned around and stared at the vampiress. "Little who? Oh, you mean Willow? I'll wait." She flopped down on the couch and stared straight ahead at some point that wasn't readily apparent.

Druscilla shrugged. "Suit yourself." She walked back down the hall to her room, leaving the former demon alone.

*******   
Willow ran home. She couldn't get the images out of her head. The memories Buffy had of her betrayal. But it wasn't a betrayal. It was a choice. The only one she could make at the time. The only one she would make, still.   
Willow remembered the hurt and shock in her friends' voice when she had first told her she was leaving with Spike. They didn't understand. None of them had. She had accepted that a long time ago, and had chosen not to dwell on her loss. She had closed that part of her life six years ago.   
When she left Sunnydale, she believed she wouldn't hear from any of them again. And she didn't, not for almost a year. But then the Watcher's Council had sent an assassin to kill Buffy and Giles', and Angel had asked for her help gaining access to their files. She had gone to visit him in Los Angeles. And while there, she had renewed her friendship with the vampire with a soul.   
At first it was tense. Angel didn't understand her reason's for leaving any more than the other's did. He didn't understand why she would choose to live with a killer. To become a mistress to a clan of vampires, when she was still mortal. Or maybe he did understand. Maybe he understood a little too well. They had reached an understanding. It was nice having someone to talk to. Someone who had known her… before.   
It was Angel who finally got her to agree to speak with Giles'. He still didn't understand her decision, but respected her wishes. Since that time they had spoken once a month. If Willow had heard some news she felt Giles' would need, she passed it along. Giles' took it gratefully, avoiding the questions in his mind about how she had gained her information.   
Eventually Buffy had come around. She had called her, and wanted to rebuild their relationship. It was difficult. There were so many things they couldn't discuss. Buffy didn't want to talk about Spike, nor did she wish to discuss her job as the slayer. So, what had started out as several conversations over a months time, dwindled down to a couple of phone calls a year. Willow didn't blame her. She knew that it was difficult for her old friend. But she believed her difficulties lay with Willow's new life, and not with what had led her to it. She had been wrong. Willow now realized exactly how wrong she had been.

******

Willow entered the house quietly. It was still early, by her time clock, but she knew that Druscilla was still weakened from the healing and hadn't gone hunting with the boys. She knew she was sleeping. She could sense it. Something had happened in the last venture into the vampires' mind. She had given something of herself to the now-sane vampiress. And in return she shared a connection with the woman. It was a side effect, but one worth the price.   
  
She walked into the kitchen, planning on fixing herself something to eat. She found Thomas sitting at the table, reading an old volume of the master's prophecies. He found them to be… entertaining. Of all of their servants, Willow liked Thomas the best. He shared her love of books, and he understood most of what he read. Spike had once compared to him to Dalton, but since Willow had never really known the vampire, the comparison didn't mean much to her.

"Mistress." Thomas looked up from his book. "How was your visit with the Slayer?" His voice was laced with distaste as he said the last word.   
Willow smiled. "It was… educational."

Thomas noticed the strange tone in Willow's voice, and decided to change the subject.   
"Mistress, you have a visitor."

Willow's eyes shot up, a curious glance gracing her pale features.

"She said her name is Anya. Lady Druscilla let her in."

Willow nodded and stood up and wandered out to the living room, where she found Anya pacing around the center of the room, wearing little footprints into the green carpet.

"Anya. Is something wrong?" Willow asked as she sat down on one of the couches. Anya startled at the sound of her name. She looked relieved to see Willow.

"No. Yes. I don't know." She seemed more flustered than Willow could ever recall seeing her.   
"Sit down." Willow instructed her, "What's wrong? Is it Xander?" Willow felt her concern grow. He was still her friend, even if he refused to speak to her. Anya rolled her eyes. Willow laughed. "Trouble in paradise?" She asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Anya stood back up again. "I don't really want to talk about it. That's not why I'm here."

"Why are you here?"

******

Angelus walked along the streets of Sunnydale, looking at everything with a different perspective. Things had changed. That was a good thing. He hadn't been able to see things for what they were, before. But now he was back. And things could be the way they were supposed to be.

He heard the unmistakable beating of a heart from not too far away. He moved further into the shadows so as not to alert his victim. He watched as a young woman started walking through the park. He was too far away, to see her clearly, but there was something familiar about her, but he could quite place it. He sniffed the air for a moment, and almost froze when he realized who it was. He knew why she was here. She had come looking for him. He wasn't ready for the game to be over just yet, so he called out to her.

"Cordelia."

*******

Xander couldn't get back to sleep. Anya had left several hours ago, and she still hadn't come home, or even called. She had been acting strange for the past couple of days. If he was being completely honest, things hadn't been right with them for several years. Everything had changed when Willow had left. Or more precisely, when she had changed. When that creature had tainted her, and stolen her away from all of them. She no longer made any kind of sense. She had stopped seeing things rationally. She had sided with the enemy. Even Deadboy had been shocked. Nothing had been the same since that night.   
At the time, Xander believed that it was just a phase. Willow would eventually leave her demon lover. But she hadn't. It had been nearly seven years, and still she was with him. She hadn't returned to Sunnydale since that night. That hurt. She hadn't tried to call. She hadn't tried to come and see him. Nothing. It was like she had closed the door on her old life. Like she didn't care anymore. That wasn't something he was willing, or able to forgive.

In addition to Losing Willow that night, he had lost some part of Anya as well. Something had happened to her that night. Something she wouldn't discuss, with anyone. He had tried, but she didn't trust him, or at least that was what he believed. She didn't share things with him anymore. Things had been really good between them for awhile, but gradually, over the years, they had grown apart.

It was only now, in thinking back on the loss of Willow, that Xander realized that his separation from Anya had all started on that night. The night their world came crashing down.

*******

"Angel?" Cordelia looked up in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She asked.  
Angelus smiled reassuringly. "I could ask you the same question."   
Cordelia shrugged. "I was worried. We hadn't heard from you, and then Spike came looking for you. We followed him here. What's going on?"  
Angelus thought quickly. He wasn't sure what was going on. "I'm not sure, yet. Why don't we get out of the cold?" He asked as he led her towards the car.  
Cordelia followed him, trying to figure out why his behavior was raising the hairs on the back of her neck. 

  
***** 

  
"Why am I here?" Anya repeated Willow's question, and then sighed. "It all started about four hundred years ago. I was cursing a young man who had cheated on both his wife and mistress. Anyway, there was a demon there. L'larion. Nasty fellow. He's actually an underling of a hellspawn from one of the demon dimensions." She paused to gauge Willow's reaction to everything she had said so far. When she didn't seemed disturbed, Anya continued.  
"L'larion is here. Now. I can feel him. His stench is in the air."  
Willow stood up and walked around the living room slowly, "Why do you think he's here?"  
"To free his master. That's pretty much his only purpose."  
"But why here? Why now?" Willow asked, more to herself than to Anya.  
"Daddy" Dru's lilting voice came from behind Willow.  
"Druscilla? What do you know?" Willow asked patiently.  
Druscilla smiled as she came into the room and sat in one of the heavy chairs. "The nasty demon. He brought daddy back. He wants daddy to suck the world into hell, like before."  
"Acathla" Willow whispered, as she left the two women in the living room.   
She walked into the kitchen and picked up the telephone. She dialed an overseas number and waited while someone picked up on the other end.  
"Peter?" She asked into the line. "Listen I need some information." 

  
****** 

  
Cordelia was trying to figure out what it was about Angel that was bothering her. It wasn't anything he said, or did even. He just seemed off somehow. She tried to sort through her thoughts as he drove her back to her hotel room.  
"Is Doyle with you?" Angelus asked casually.  
"Yes." She paused, "Angel, Is something wrong?"  
"No, why do you ask? He eyed her suspiciously as they pulled into the parking lot.  
"You seem different."   
Angelus chuckled as they climbed out of the car and walked into the building. Once they had reached the relative safety of the elevator, he turned to his secretary.  
"Oh, Cordelia. I was really hoping I wasn't going to have to do this." He smirked.  
Cordelia backed up against the far wall of the elevator. "Angelus." She breathed.  
"See, I always knew you were smart. Now the question is, what are you going to do? And be aware your answer could cost you your life." He threatened.  
A million different thoughts swept through Cordelia's mind. Not the least of which was that she was going to die. At this point that was pretty much a guarantee. She found herself asking the one question which kept popping into her fear addled brain.  
"Why are you here?"  
"Excuse me?" He was confused. He was expecting her to beg for her life, cry maybe. Although thinking back on the last few years of his souled existence, he wasn't sure why. Cordelia Chase was nothing if not balsy.  
"What are you doing here? What's your master plan? I mean, you must have one, otherwise why come here? Why not wreak havoc in LA?"  
Angelus thought for a moment before he burst out in a wide grin. "You know, I like you. Always have. I think I'll let you live." He chuckled as he exited the elevator. 

  
****** 

  
"Well, well, what do we have here, pet? A party? And nobody sent out the invitations?" Spike winked at his mate as he entered the living room.  
"Ooh, a Party? Can we have one, Little Tree? With lots of pretty flowers?" Druscilla asked, as her eyes lit up with happiness.  
"Soon." She smiled at the vampiress before turning to Spike, "But right now, we have trouble." 

  
****** 

"What sort of trouble?' Spike asked as he noticed the concern etched on Willow's face. 

"I've found out who brought Angelus back, and why." Willow told him.

"Oh? Why?" Angelus' silky voice wafted through the house as he entered. His eyes flew over the group assembled in the livingroom, finally landing on Anya. "Anyanka. It's been an age. 1786 wasn't it?"

Anya smiled, surprised that he had remembered. "Actually, It's only been a few hours."

Angelus chuckled. "So it has."

Willow rolled her eyes. "I hate to break up this tender reunion, but we have more important things to discuss."

Angelus put up his hands in mock surrender. "Very well, Red." He sat down leisurely on the couch next to where Anya was sitting. "What do we know?"

Willow filled everyone in on what Anya had told her as her mind tried to connect the dots between L'larion and Buffy's dreams. When she felt cold hands on the sides of her head, Willow realized she had quit speaking and everyone was staring at her expectantly. "What?" She asked. "How long have I been gone?"

"Not long, Little tree." Drusilla's soothing voice spoke from her right side. "What do you see? Is there trouble coming?"

Anya looked curiously at willow. "Are you all right?"

Willow smiled tenderly at Anya and then turned her attention to Angelus. "He wants you to finish what you started. He wants you to open the vortex."

**** 

L'larion scowled slightly. The witch had figured it out. She knew what he wanted. That could prove to be a problem. But only a slight one. There was still much that he could do to affect the outcome.  
The addition of Anyanka to their little group had been unexpected. She could prove to be more trouble than she was worth.

L'larion knew that now, more than ever before, the rift between the witch and the Slayer needed to be widened. If they fought one another, they would be too busy to fight his plans. Luckily for him, he wouldn't have to interfere too much, their wounds were deep.

***** 

Buffy awoke in a cold sweat. She didn't know exactly how long she had been asleep, but she surmised it had been several hours. She looked around the room and wondered what had happened to Willow. She had said she would be there in a couple of hours, but that had been nearly five hours ago.

There was a time when she would have been worried about Willow's absence. But that time had passed. Buffy now knew that if Willow hadn't shown, it was probably because she had chosen to, not because something had happened. The Slayer had no doubt that the evils that lived in the dark had more fear of the redheaded witch than the other way around.

Still, she wondered what had happened. She was about to pick up the phone and call, when there was a knock at the door. She smiled slightly. Better late than never,

"Willow, what took so." She hesitated when she saw who stood on the other side of the door. "Long." She stepped aside to let her guest in. Xander? What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

Xander smiled sadly as he flopped wearily on Buffy's couch. "I know. Anya's gone." He looked up at Buffy. "I don't think she's coming back."

"Oh, Xander." Buffy sat next to her friend. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that everything would work out fine, but she knew it wouldn't. She had noticed the tension that had surrounded Xander and Anya. Something had happened between them, something that she couldn't identify. She saw as Anya slowly drifted away. She seemed to be lost in the memory of a time past. Something was haunting her. Some past event. Buffy couldn't be sure, but she thought it was connected to what had driven Willow away.

She sighed. They had lost so much on that night.

***** 

****Sunnydale, California December 1999 ** **

Willow looked out the window and smiled sadly. She heard the water being turned off in the next room. After a few moments, she heard the bathroom door open and Spike came back into the bedroom. Willow turned around to face her lover. He was standing at the foot of the bed, wearing nothing but a pear of his trademark black jeans. She walked over to him and kissed him tenderly, trying to hold on to the last vestiges of peace.

"You don't have to do this." Spike reminded her.

Willow pulled herself away and turned back towards the opened window. "I do. I'm tired of hiding. I'm tired of lying to them. Making excuses for where I spend my nights My days, all my time." She turned around and smiled wistfully at Spike, who was staring at her with that expression that told her he didn't care. He didn't care that she didn't tell her friends about them. It didn't matter to him that her friends wouldn't approve. He would only care when their insensitivity would cause Willow pain. It was an expression she had come to know well these past few months.

Willow sat down next to him on the bed. "I'm not ashamed of this. I never was. We've known we couldn't keep it a secret forever. And I don't want to. Not anymore."

"They won't approve. They'll think I forced you." Spike smirked at the reaction that was sure to following.

Willow grinned. "I don't care." She told him honestly. 

She had thought long and hard about the past six months. When Spike had returned to Sunnydale, he had come to see her. He had come back for her. At first she didn't believe him, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to tell Buffy he had come back.

It hadn't taken long for her to fall hopelessly in love with him. She felt whole with him. He accepted her for who she was. He didn't want anything from her, except for her love, which she gladly gave. He knew her better than anyone. Better than Buffy, better than Xander, better than Giles. They only knew certain parts of her. Spike knew it all, and loved her still.

Despite his complete acceptance of her, and hers of him, they still hid in the shadows. No one even knew he had come back to Sunnydale, much less that they were together.

She had known it was only a matter of time before the others found out. Willow was surprised their secret had remained a secret for as long as it had, especially after Spike had taken control of the local vampire population.

Willow also realized that if her friends weren't so emersed in their own lives, she couldn't have kept her secret for as long as she had. It should have been apparent, to Giles' at least; there was someone in control now. Random attacks were few and far between, and Buffy was never attacked when Willow was with her. That should have sent warning bells to the Slayer. But, it didn't.

Buffy had thrown herself into college life, trying to pretend, even if only for a short while that she was a normal girl. She studied hard, went to parties. She even began to date. Never the same boy more than twice, but it was better than sitting at home, brooding over her lost love.

For his part, Xander had returned from his road trip, and had quickly started working at a local bar. He seemed to be in his element there. The patrons liked him, found him amusing, and being an establishment which catered to some of the more questionable Sunnydale residents, Xander was often aware of things that happened, before Giles even.

Anya had returned to Sunnydale with Xander, after running into him during the summer in a small Midwestern town he had stopped in for a short period of time. The couple had renewed their almost-relationship, and it had developed into something a lot more serious.

Willow found herself enjoying Anya's company more than she would have thought possible. They had a love of magic in common, which was something that Buffy didn't understand.

Willow realized that if any of her friends would be supportive of her relationship with Spike, it would be Anya. Although she hoped Xander would understand, Willow feared that would not be the case.

"They'll make you choose." Spike's words brought Willow out of her inner thoughts. 

She turned to her mate and smiled. She knew he was right, no matter how she wished he wasn't.

"If it comes to that, it will be their loss." Willow spoke with an intensity Spike recognized. It reminded him of why he had chosen her as his mate.

Willow stood up and walked to the closet. She looked at her clothes, trying to decide what to wear. Her clothes had changed slightly in her time with Spike. She was tempted to wear one of the dresses Spike had bought for when they went out together but quickly dismissed it. She knew that the information her friends would gain tonight would be shocking enough. She instead settled on a pair of blue jeans and a novelty shirt she had found at the local mall. It read, 'vampires to it better'. The shirt itself was black with writing in blood red letters.

Spike had chuckled when she had first worn it, offering to show her how accurate the phrase actually was.

Willow turned around and smiled as Spike pulled on a T-shirt. "How do I look, lover?"

"Good enough to eat." Spike waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he stalked towards her and nibbled on her healing bite marks.

Willow pushed him away as she heard the doorbell. She had suggested that they meet at her parent's house, knowing things would go better if she was on home ground.

"I guess I better let them in." Willow left the bedroom and walked towards the front door, knowing that what she was about to do would change her life, and the lives of those around her.

**** 

Angel stood on the porch and waited for willow to open the door. He turned to Cordelia and Doyle. Doyle was looking a little nervous. This was the first time he had been to Sunnydale, and he wasn't sure about meeting all of the people he had heard so much about.

Cordelia patted his arm reassuringly as Willow opened the door.

"Angel, Cordelia. It's great to see you. Come in." S he stepped aside, allowing the trio entrance. After shutting the door behind them, Willow turned to Doyle. "You must be Doyle? I'm Willow. It's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you." She grinned, and then added conspiratorially, "Don't worry, it's all been good."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Willow, why are we here?"

Willow looked at her friend in confusion for a moment. "I thought you came because of the Levale' demon?"

"I think she means why are we here, instead of at Giles?" Angel explained, wondering about the location himself.

Willow nodded. "I have some information, but I want to wait until everyone gets here." She hoped they would accept her reasoning and not ask to many questions.

Angel watched in curiosity as Willow left them to get some refreshments. She seemed to be nervous, and he couldn't figure out why. He knew that the Levale' demon, which had been their reason for coming to Sunnydale was a threat to Sunnydale, and the Slayer in general. But what he couldn't figure out is what information Willow could possibly have that Giles didn't, and how she would come across such information.

Another thing that bothered him was Spike. He could feel his presence. It seemed to waft around the house, almost as if it belonged there. He had a feeling that it did. In his absence from Sunnydale, Angel had lost some of his connections, and others seemed to be tight-lipped about certain goings on in Sunnydale. Both of these facts led Angel to believe there was a new power in Sunnydale. One which had managed to gain control of the vampire population.

And now, between Willow's nervousness and the feeling that Spike was nearby, Angel believed he knew exactly who the master was. What he couldn't figure out was how Willow fit into all of this. A part of him wanted to demand answers, however another part of him, the part that knew Willow better than most, knew that that would only serve to anger her, thereby insuring he would receive the answers he sought. So, instead he waited. He trusted Willow and her judgment enough to know that she would explain things when she was ready. Angel had a feeling that that time had come.

His suspicions were partially confirmed when Willow returned with refreshments. She handed Angel a glass of bloodwine. After one taste, Angel realized the blood mixture was made of human blood. He seriously doubted she would have bought the cocktail solely for his visit. Nor did he believe she would have bought some with human blood, at least not for him. That left only one explanation. She obviously kept the drink on hand.

That realization brought a whole new slew of thoughts into his head. Things like what exactly was Willow's relationship with Spike? How long had they been involved? Was she aware of his activities? And if so, where did that put her relationship with Buffy?

His mind spun around in circles as the repercussions for this new found knowledge began to present themselves. He looked around the room and hoped the others would arrive soon. He didn't know how long he could wait before his curiosity demanded answers.

**** 

Nearly an hour later, Willow found herself feeling like she was about to face a firing squad. She smiled slightly.

"Willow?" Giles asked, "What is going on? You said you had some new information about this demon?"

Willow thought briefly about giving them the information they had come here, and hoping that they didn't ask how she had found out. But only briefly. Everything she had told Spike was the truth. S he was tired of lying, tired of hiding. She sighed, realizing it was long passed time for the truth to come out.

"Okay, first things first, The demon we are after is a Lavale' demon, which you know. What you may not know is that this particular demon, is after Buffy." She looked closely at her friend. "He needs slayers blood. A lot of it."

Buffy was about to protest Willow's theory when Willow raised her hands, "Let me finish. There's more. He needs it for a ritual he wants to perform." She sighed heavily as she turned her attention to Angel. "The ritual also requires the blood of a vampire, and the soul of a demon." She paused as she watched everyone take in this latest information. "The soul of a vampire." Her green eyes bore into Angel's, willing him to grasp what she was saying.

"So, that's why this demon came here?" Xander asked.

"Yes, because this is the only place you can find both a vampire with a soul, and the blood of a slayer."

The room was enveloped in silence as everyone thought over what Willow had told them. Buffy was skeptical. Cordelia and Doyle were worried. Xander was concerned, if only for Buffy. Giles was confused, and Anya tried to remember everything she could about this species of demon, trying to figure out what ritual he was trying to perform.

It was Giles' who spoke first. "If I may ask, where did you get this information?"

Willow turned her head slightly towards the stairs, where she could feel Spike standing, waiting. She smiled as he entered the room. "That would be from me."

***** 

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Willow watched in horrified silence as Buffy jumped up, stake in hand. Buffy pushed past a stunned Giles and stalked towards where Spike stood in one corner of the room. 

"Willow, move out of the way." Buffy glared at the blond vampire.

Willow stood her ground, as everything seemed to come back into focus. "Buffy, put the stake down. It isn't what you think." Willow took a step closer to Spike, shielding him from the angry Slayer.

"Willow, Move. Out. Of. The. Way." Buffy demanded through clenched teeth. She took a step closer, pushing Willow out of the way.

Spike snarled as Willow hit the floor with the force of the blow. His eyes glowed golden asshe approached Buffy, readying himself for a fight. 

Watching the drama unfold, Angel felt a fear go through him. He stood up and in one swift movement put himself between his childe and his former love. He winced in pain as he felt the wood imbed itself in his shoulder. He slumped to the floor, the stake still protruding from the wound.

Cordelia gasped and ran over to Angel. When she saw how deeply the stake was stuck into the vampire's skin, she looked worriedly from Angel to Doyle.

Spike watched in stunned silence as his Sire took the injury that was meant for him. He had never expected Angel to get in the way of him being dusted. The fact that he had sent a wave of an unrecognizable emotion through the younger vampire.

Spike turned to Willow when he heard her groan from the floor. She was sitting up, rubbing her head, where she had hit it against the railing of the stairs. She looked around and gasped as she saw Angel lying on the ground. She turned to Buffy, who was staring with this blank expression on her face.

Willow leapt up and went to Angel. When she saw that the wound wasn't anywhere near his heart, she breathed an audible sigh of relief. She turned towards Spike, who was standing behind her.

"Let's get him upstairs. We need to get that out of him."

Spike and Doyle lifted the wounded vampire, using their superior strength to aid them. Cordelia followed them up the stairs, leaving Willow alone with her other guests.

***** 

Buffy was in a state of shock. She had nearly staked Angel. She couldn't believe how close she could have come to killing him. If he had been standing a little to the right, the stake might have reached his unbeating his heart.

She couldn't understand what Spike was doing in Willow's house, nor could she understand what would possess Angel to step in front of the stake.

She turned to look at Willow, and frowned when she noticed Willow refused to meet her gaze. "Willow, I"

Willow turned towards Giles, ignoring Buffy's plea. "I'll be back. If you want to wait, I'll explain everything."

Giles nodded as Willow left the room to tend to her injured guest.

"Good going, Slayer." Anya shook her head at Buffy, gaining a glare from Xander.

"What the hell was that all about?" Xander asked nobody in particular.

Buffy sat down on the couch and sighed. "I don't know." She looked up at Giles. "Did you know Spike was here?"

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his weary eyes. "Uh, no"

"I noticed that deadboy didn't seem too surprised." Xander interrupted.

"Yes, well, maybe we should wait for Willow to return." Giles didn't know what was going on, but he doubted any speculation would help the situation any.

**** 

Willow entered the guest bedroom and watched as Cordelia grasped the end of the stake while Doyle and Spike held Angel down firmly.

"On three," Cordelia was telling her boss. "One, two..." She pulled the offending weapon out, wincing at the scream of pain that erupted from Angel's lips.

Willow brought the first aide kit from the dresser and began to wrap the wound up.

The four of them sat in silence for several moments, while Angel regained his composure. He turned to Spike and then Willow. "Care to tell me how long this has been going on?"

Spike shrugged. "Not really any of your business."

"Spike." Willow warned softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She smiled slightly at Angel. "About six months." She held up her hand to still any more forthcoming questions.

"I'd rather only explain this once. Are you okay to come back downstairs?" She grinned as she spoke her next words. "I'll protect you from Buffy."

Angel couldn't help but chuckle at her. She had changed. He could see the subtle differences, and he found himself wondering if they were changes that had come about because of his childe. It had also not gone unnoticed that Spike had not tried to stake him himself, which caused him to wonder if perhaps Spike and Willow were good for one another.

"Let's get this over with, Peaches." Spike helped Angel to his feet, and led him back down the stairs.

Willow was the first to reach the living room, followed by Cordelia, Doyle, Angel, and finally Spike.

"Okay, I know you have questions, and I'll answer them, but" She looked directly at Buffy, "If you can't behave yourself, you'll have to leave." Her tone was serious, brooking no argument. She watched Buffy nod her head in agreement. When Xander appeared to protest, Willow turned an icy stare at her old friend, "That goes for you too, Alexander LaVelle Harris."

Xander blanched at Willow's use of his full name, but nodded in agreement.

Willow smiled as she sat down in the love seat, motioning for Spike to join her. "Spike and I have been together for about six months." She looked seriously at all of her friends before she spoke again. "My relationship with him is not up for discussion. Accept it or not. Its up to you." She paused, "That's not why I called you here."

"Why are we here?" Anya broke the stunned silence. She didn't understand what the big deal was. So Willow was shacking up with a vampire. It's not like Buffy hadn't done the same. And she recognized Doyle for what he was, therefore Cordelia was also involved with a demon. Their reaction didn't make much sense to her.

Willow smiled at Anya's bluntness. She recognized the understanding in the former demon's eyes, and was pleased that at least one of her friends wouldn't condemn her.

"Like I said before, this demon needs Slayer's blood to complete his ritual. He also needs the soul of a demon, preferably a vampire, and since there's only one of those" She turned to face Angel, and smiled slightly.

"You also said that it needed vampires blood?" Giles asked, trying to grasp the full scope of what was needed.

"Yes, that's where I come in mate." Spike grinned cockily.

"What you're going to offer yourself?" Xander snickered.

Spike scowled. "Willow, Luv, tell me again why I'm here?"

Willow smiled at her lover affectionately. "Because, they need to know what they're up against." She turned back to the others. "Look, we know where the demon is, and we know how to kill it, but it requires a spell, and everyone has to be a willing participant." She looked pointedly at Xander and then turned to Anya. "Also, I need a secondary to help bind the demon."

"What kind of spell?" Giles asked cautiously.

Willow sighed. "It's a protection spell. Basically it will initiate a blood bond between myself, Anya, if she agrees, Angel and Doyle. Between the four of us, we'll be able to keep the demon from extracting Angel's soul."

And what about me?" Buffy whined. "Who will protect me?"

Willow looked at Buffy for the first time since she had started to explain. "No one. You're not in any danger."

"But I don't understand. You said that they need Slayer's blood. And I'm the Slayer."

"Not the only Slayer."

Everyone turned to the new voice, which had entered the room. Faith smirked at the shocked faces in the room. "Miss me, B?"

**** 

Buffy jumped out of her seat, pushing past Cordelia and Doyle who were standing between her and the brunette slayer. She pushed Faith into the wall behind her, and was about to kick her when she was grabbed from behind and pinned to the ground.

"What is it with you, Slayer? Nearly staking my sire not enough for you, now you're killing your own kind?" Spike taunted as he gripped her wrists firmly, holding her in place. He released her, tossing her towards the other end of the room. "I believe Red asked you to behave." He reminded her with a grin.

Faith laughed as she stood up and hopped on the counter that separated the living room and kitchen. "So, fang, she tried to kill you again?" Her dark eyes sparkled as she looked over the dark-haired vampire.

Willow stood up and walked over to Faith, glaring slightly. "I thought you were going to stay hidden?" She hissed.

Faith shrugged. "Got bored."

"Yes, well, maybe you can explain?" Giles asked Willow, hoping there was some fathomable explanation for the events, which had led them all here.

Willow sighed. "This ritual requires the blood of a Slayer, but like the protection spell, it requires that the blood be given willingly. " Willow looked pointedly at Buffy. "I knew that you couldn't, wouldn't ever do that." 

"You're in a coma." Xander's shocked voice interrupted Willow's explanation.

Faith chuckled. "Was. Red liberated me."

Xander looked confusedly at Willow while Giles tried to understand.

It was Anya who spoke first. "You brought her out of her coma?"

Willow smiled. "Yes"

"How?" Buffy spoke quietly from the floor, where she had taken to leaning against the couch.

Willow looked at the brunette Slayer. "Let's just say I have a unique understanding of how her mind works." Spike snorted.

Willow glared at her mate and walked over to where Giles was sitting. "Look, the bottom line is that we can stop the ritual. We have all the elements. We'll find the demon, send him back to his dimension, and Angel can go home." She turned around and headed into the kitchen, suddenly wanting nothing more than to get out of the room.

"Wait!" Xander's voice cut through the silence. Willow stopped and faced her old friend.  
"Did you say send him back to his dimension? You're not going to kill it?" Xander questioned incredulously.

*****  
  
Faith could barely restrain her amusement. She knew that Red had not wanted to discuss what it was they would be doing with the demon once they found him. It wasn't something Buffy or her friends would understand.

Faith heard Willow groan softly just before she spoke. "No. Killing it isn't an option. Not for us, and not for you." Faith smiled at the hard edge in Willow's voice. It was a tone she had become used to in the past several months since she had woken up from her Hell.

Faith's coma had not been a silent one. It had been riddled with dreams. Nightmare visions of her life. All the things that had gone wrong, and all the things that could still go wrong.

When she had first seen the redheaded witch inside her mind, she had believed she was another apparition. But soon she felt her presence, and realized she was real. Willow had somehow gained access to her addled brain, and wove her way through the distorted images. When she left to return to the waking world, she brought Faith with her.

Something had changed that day. Something complicated, and unfathomable. Something the brunette Slayer would never understand. Willow had saved her. From her nightmares, and from herself. That wasn't something she ever expected, least of all from a girl she had tried to kill. Nor was it something she was likely to forget.

When Willow had explained the situation. Told her about the demon, and the ritual he was trying to perform, Faith had been compelled to help. She knew the ritual was dangerous. It required a large amount of her blood, and it would require her to be bound to a vampire. The same vampire whose blood would be needed to complete the spell.

Willow had been very adamant about trying the ritual, but only if they could protect Angel's soul. And now, here they were, explaining the situation to Miss Perfect and her clones. Faith tuned back in as Willow had finished explaining how she had awoken Faith and what exactly was needed in the ritual. She noticed with a smile that willow had left out some important details.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Buffy started as she stood up. "You not only woke Faith up from a coma, which I inflicted"

"Oh yeah, thanks for that by the way." Faith sneered.

"But you want to perform some ritual that will bind her to a vampire, just so she can protect another vampire?" Buffy asked. She turned to Faith and smirked. "You do remember you're a Slayer, don't you? We do still kill vampires."

Faith leapt off of the counter and was on Buffy in seconds. She threw her back onto the ground and hit her square across the jaw with her right fist. She was about to kick her when she felt the presence on her mind, calming her, telling her to back off. Faith climbed off of Buffy and turned around. She locked eyes with Spike who grinned in acknowledgement of what her bond had told her.

"It's been a blast, but I got places to be." Faith winked at Buffy who was climbing off of the floor for the second time that day, fingering the bruise that was forming on her face.

Faith left the living room and headed out the back door, leaving the group staring after her in confusion.

***** 

"Buffy? Are you alright?" Willow asked as she brought the blonde slayer a cold compress for her face. 

It was just them alone in the room now. Everyone else had gone. Giles, Anya and Xander had gone home. Angel, Cordelia and Doyle had gone to Angel's mansion, where they would be staying. Spike had left, to return to his lair. He had business to attend to.

"No, will, I'm not. This is this is a lot to deal with. I don't understand any of it. You and Spike? When did that happen? And Faith? Why her?" Buffy pressed the compress to her wounds.

Willow sighed. "I told you, Spike and I have been together for six months. The how and why don't really matter now. All that does it that he loves me. I love him. That won't change."

"He's a vampire." Buffy reminded her. "And a soulless one. He kills people, Willow, or did he tell you he'd given that up?" Buffy's voice had gotten slightly louder and taken on a snide tone.

Willow tucked a piece of hair behind her hair as she stared at her friend. She was slowly losing her patience. 

"No, Buffy. I have no delusions for who and what Spike is. Yes, he kills people. So do you. He drains their blood to survive. But aside from all of that I still love him." She put up a hand to still Buffy's protest. "Did you stop loving Angel when he went psycho and tried to kill us? And in case you hadn't realized it, Angelus was way worse than Spike ever could be, although I wouldn't repeat that to him." She smiled slightly, and then frowned at Buffy. "He's doing good things here Buffy. He has the vamps under control. That's something that hasn't happened in a long time. If he didn't take charge, there would be a lot more dead people. You have to know that."

"I'll tell you what I know. I know that you've lost your mind. You're sleeping with a killer, and you've brought Faith back. I know that you stood by and did nothing while both of them attacked me. I know that for some unknown reason, you refuse to kill the demon that's after my ex-boyfriend. I'll also tell you what I don't know. You. Willow, I don't know who you are anymore." Buffy shook her head sadly and walked out Willow's front door.

***** 

Once alone in her house, Willow walked into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. She sighed heavily. "Well, that could have gone better."

"Yes, it could have."

Willow was startled by the deep voice. It seemed to rumble throughout the house. She turned to face the demon that stood in her doorway.

"Mavan, what are you doing here? It isn't safe." She hissed.

"Did you get the secondary?" He asked, ignoring her concern.

Willow sighed as she brushed past the large demon and returned to her kitchen. "I think so, but I need to talk to her alone."

"And you're sure? That with this spell, I won't need the soul?" Mavan asked the witch carefully. He couldn't afford for her to be wrong. Too many lives depended on it.

Willow nodded. "Come back tomorrow. I should know by then."

Mavan started to leave, but was stopped by Willow's small hand on his scaly arm. "Be careful. The others they don't understand. Buffy she slays first, asks questions later." She looked up into the translucent cobalt eyes of the demon. "Your people need you. We can't afford for you to go looking for trouble."

Mavan blinked once, allowing his eyes to change colors. He smiled slightly, showing off his tusks. "I know. What you have done will not be forgotten." 

***** 

  
"You aren't going to do it." Xander was incredulous. 

"And why not?" Anya looked perplexed.

"Because Because You're just not!" Xander demanded.

Anya sighed. "I don't get you. You say you're her friend, but yet you won't accept the choices she's made." 

"Because they're the wrong choices." Xander told her pointedly. Anya snorted.

"He probably forced her. She'll change her mind." Xander was confident. Anya just shook her head sadly at her boyfriend.

"I'm doing the spell." She narrowed her eyes, daring him to disagree. When he didn't she smiled. "I'll be back."

Anya left Xander's basement apartment, and headed back towards Willow's house.

***** 

Willow walked down into the kitchen and smiled. Without turning towards the door, she spoke. "You can come out now. He's gone."

Faith came into the kitchen, looking around briefly. "So, that's him?"

Willow smiled. "Did you see her? How is she?"

Faith shrugged. "Five by Five. She didn't want to come. Said something about her Daddy being dirty. Didn't make much since to me though."

Willow laughed as she turned around to face the Slayer. "But she'll do it? She complete the ritual?"

Faith grinned wickedly. "Yep. Said that Miss Edith told her the Little Tree was right. That all would come full circle." Faith looked carefully at the redhead. "You do know she's crazy, right?"

"So are you." Willow pointed out. 

Faith grinned. "You didn't tell them everything." 

Willow grinned back. "Someone once told me that they didn't have the capacity to understand the fires that burn from the darkness." She turned towards the window. "Drusilla was right. Giles, for all his experience, and knowledge, he sometimes forgets not all demons are evil." She turned to face Faith once again. "And your fellow Slayer? She wouldn't understand. She doesn't see that Angel is not the exception. He may be the only vampire with a soul, but there are more creatures that have the same capacity for caring as he does. Most of them aren't human. Never were." Willow walked to the fireplace mantle and picked up a framed picture of Xander, Buffy and herself. "I love Xander dearly, but his support is a fragile thing. He will side with Buffy." She let her fingers glide over the picture of Xander. "You know I was extremely hurt when he slept with you." She spoke softly.

Faith shuddered slightly at the memory. "What were you saying about me being crazy?"

Willow laughed as she put the photograph back.

"So, what happens if the demon girl won't help?" Faith asked seriously.

Willow frowned. "We go to the enemy." She turned her fierce gaze to Faith. "But that can't happen. We have to convince her to do this."

"That won't be necessary." Willow and Faith spun around at the sound of Anya's voice.

**** 

Mavan returned to his cave, deep in Breaker's woods. He needed to center himself. The ritual would begin soon. He could feel the power coming together. This was his last chance to save his people from destruction. 

He had not wanted to do the blood rites ritual. When he had first found it, he hadn't believed it possible. A vampire with a soul? Surely there wasn't such a thing? And if that hadn't been difficult enough, to bind a Slayer and a vampire, was not to be any easy task. But then he had heard the stories of the Hellmouth and the Slayer that lived there. The closer he had come to Sunnydale, the wilder the stories became. They spoke of a vampire that was in love with a Slayer. A Vampire with a soul. He knew then that this was his people's last chance at salvation. He had felt a small twinge of guilt at what would happen to the souled vampire, but when weighed against the lives of his people, he had no other choice.

He had only been in Sunnydale a short while when he was approached by the witch. He had no idea how she found out he was in town, or where she had learned all the she had, but he was grateful to her when she presented him with another plan. Another ritual that could gain him the power he needed, and still leave the vampire's soul in tact. He had left the preparations to the witch. She had much power and understood his need. She promised she could get him what he needed, and he believed her.

  
Mavan felt the air crackle with energy. The bonded two were here. He could feel it. They were a paradox. A vampire and a slayer. Both dangerous and deadly, and yet both having some small remnant of humanity left. Both owing to their lives to the young witch, in ways Mavan would never understand. They would be his salvation. His source of power.

He took long, deep breaths, and allowed the silence to overtake him.

***** 

Willow hung up the phone and returned to the living room. The others are preparing." 

Anya looked at Willow, "How does this work, exactly?"

Willow began forming the circle as she spoke. "First we'll do the protection spell. The four of us here, and Angel and Doyle there. Once that has been completed, The Blood Rites ritual can begin."

"The four of us?" Anya asked, wondering who the forth was.

"Little Tree." Drusilla waltzed into the room.

"Dru." Willow smiled brightly and hugged the vampiress. She turned to Anya. "This is"

"Anyanka." Drusilla interrupted. She looked the girl over carefully and then giggled. "She new Daddy, and she will again."

"Dru, you and Faith need to sit over here." She pointed to points in the circle. "Spike, Over here, please."

Spike groaned. "Why am I doing this?" He grumbled as he sat where Willow pointed.

"Because Red asked you to, and you're whipped." Faith snickered.

Willow shot her a warning glance as she sat opposite Spike. "Anya, can you light the candles."

Anya began lighting the candles as Willow started Chanting.

***** 

Across town, in Angel's mansion, Doyle, Cordelia and angel sat in a similar circle. Doyle started chanting at the same time as Willow. The words seemed to take on a life of their own as they glided off his tongue.

The trio felt a surge of energy surround them as they gained strength from the power sent to them by the four who were binding them, securing that Angel's soul stay with him.

***** 

"It's done." Willow opened her eyes.

Spike stood up, allowing Anya to take his place in the circle.

"You're turn." He smirked as he walked out into the patio for a smoke.

Anya sat down in the empty space and looked questioningly at Willow.

"Okay, now comes the hard part." She smiled slightly as she handed to very sharp knives to faith and Drusilla."

"From the blood of the chosen one to the blood of wisdom contained, I beckon you."

***** 

Mavan could feel the power. It drenched over him, it infused him. The ritual was working.

****** 

Buffy paced around Giles living room angrily. "We have to do something. Find this demon, kill it." She snapped.

Xander walked in, a goofy grin on his face. "Hey guys! Look what I found?" He was holding out a piece of paper. It had a small map on it, which led through Breakers woods.

"The demon?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"The demon." Xander nodded.

**** 

The blood flowed freely now. Faiths mixing with Drusilla's as Willow and Anya chanted in Latin. There was a swirl of colors as the ritual was completed. Faith lost consciousness first, and then Drusilla.

Anya looked on in concern.

"They'll heal." Willow assured the ex-demon as she continued the chant. She felt the power overwhelm her as the bowl, filled with the blood glowed slightly and then vanished. And then nothing. No power, no energy, nothing.

**** 

Mavan felt it the moment the blood was mixed. The moment their power was sent to him. It was revitalizing him, feeding him, giving him the power he needed to save his people.

He felt the sword pierce his heart. He knew that he was dying. He looked into the blue eyes of his killer. A child. She was nothing more than a child. Killing something she didn't understand, for a reason she couldn't name. His last thought before he died was of his people and the pain and hardship they would have to endure, all because of a little girl.

***** 

With Mavan's death came the screams. Shouts of unending terror as an entire race died. A people rich in culture who had lost their king, their savior, the one who would save them from a fate worse than death. Now they would wish for death as their souls were claimed by the Lavate', a creature so depraved, even the evil feared it.

***** 

Spike heard the anguished scream and ran into the house. Willow was a huddled in a ball, tears streaming down her face. He cradled her in his arms, rubbing soothing circles on her back, as he looked at the others present. 

"What happened?" He demanded. "Is she hurt."

"I I don't know." Anya told him.

Spike looked to Drusilla. "Dru? What happened?"

"The demon died. Daddy's nasty Slayer killed it."

"Was the ritual completed? He asked, looking to Faith.

"No." Willow sobbed. She pulled herself away from Spike and began packing the supplies away.

Everyone was silent for several minutes. Finally Faith spoke, voicing the question no one else dared to ask.

"What now?"

Willow looked up at the Slayer. There was a sadness in her eyes, although her features were set in hard determination. "It's over. Mavan's people are gone. The Lavate' would have claimed their souls. There is nothing left for us to do." 

"We can't find this Lavate'? Kill it?" Faith asked, feeling anger that what they had tried to accomplish for so long had failed.

"No Deary." Drusilla placed a cold hand over one of Faiths. "The Lavate' is a thing, not from out dimension. Truly evil. Rather delicious, if you think about it." She giggled.

"It can't be let into our dimension." Anya spoke quietly, dredging up memories from her past. "Unless someone opens up a portal."

"Like Daddy." Drusilla remembered fondly.

Willow stood up. "In any case, we failed." Her voice was sad, guilty.

"It isn't your fault, Red." Faith told her.

Willow looked up, her green eyes hard. "No. Its Buffy's. She did this. I know she did."

"You can't be sure." Anya stood up and collected the candles.

"I can." Willow spoke softly. She shook her head. "No matter. What's done is done." She turned towards the former vengeance demon. "Thank you for trying to help us. I know Xander must not have been happy."

Anya smiled. "He'll get over it." She handed the candles to Willow. "I had better go." She turned towards the back door and stopped short just before opening it. "Interesting family you have here, Will."

Willow smiled as the ex-demon left her house. She turned to face Drusilla and Faith. "You had better be leaving as well." Her voice was heavy with the burden of guilt she felt on her soul.

"I can stay. Help you with B." Faith offered.

Willow shook her head. "No. You and Dru should go home. We're done here."

Faith noticed the tone of finality in Willow's voice and looked questioningly at Drusilla. Drusilla shook her head in a silent warning. Faith sighed and gave Willow a hug. "Okay, we're off. Still have several hours before sunrise. We should be home by the end of the week. Call us."

Willow nodded as she hugged Drusilla tightly. "Behave yourself. And tell Miss Edith not too much tea before bedtime."

Drusilla giggled softly as she followed Faith out of the house.

Willow set her supplies down and turned towards the fireplace.

When Willow heard the door close behind her, she spoke. "I'll be ready to leave whenever you are."

Spike had been making plans to leave Sunnydale for the past several weeks. But he refused to leave without Willow, and she was reluctant to leave her life, and her friends behind.

"Are you sure, Luv. We can stay a bit longer." Spike put his arms around the small redhead, hugging her to his chest.

"No. There's nothing left worth staying for."

"Are you going to say goodbye?" He asked, not caring personally, but knowing that it would be better for her if she did.

Willow shook her head. "No."

Her explanation was interrupted by a knock at the front door.

"It's Peaches and company." Spike told her, sensing his sire.

"Come in, Angel."

Angel entered the house, followed by Cordelia and Doyle. Doyle looked around the living room, and then back to Spike and Willow. He noticed Willow had been crying and frowned. "What happened?"

Before Willow could answer, Buffy came bursting through the door, stake in hand. She launched herself at Spike, fully intending to stake him. Before she could get close enough, Willow ran towards the Slayer and pushed her back, causing her to drop the stake.

Willow stalked closer to the Slayer, her eyes glowing a pale green that was different than anything Buffy had ever seen. "You dare to come here? To my house? With your weapons? In an attempt to kill my mate?" Her body had started to glow, and Buffy could feel the energy coming off of her.

"Red, calm down." Spike spoke calmly. Even though he personally would love to see his witch kill the Slayer, such an act would wound willow deeply, once she had calmed down.

"Willow?" Angel asked worriedly. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he could feel the rage coming off of the hacker.

Willow took a deep breath to calm herself. She felt Spike's cool hand, comforting her. "She isn't worth it, Pet." He whispered in her ear. Willow nodded. 

"We're leaving." She spoke calmly to the room in general.

"Leaving? But why? Where?" Xander sputtered as he entered the room. He hadn't been too far behind Buffy, but had hesitated when he heard Willow's angry voice.

Willow looked up at Xander sadly. "I suppose you helped her?" She felt the tears start to come, and tried to will them away. "You helped her murder an entire species?"

"What?" Buffy asked as she regained her footing. "We killed a demon, that was all." 

"After she asked you not to?" Cordelia's voice was appalled.

"What's the big deal. He was a demon, we killed it." Xander asked.

Willow glared at her oldest friend. "Not all demons in this world are evil."

"Evil, not evil. How was I to know?" Buffy asked petulantly.

"Because I told you." Willow sighed. "It doesn't matter now. The damage has already been done." She turned around and smiled at Spike. "We'll be leaving in a few days. We don't know when we'll be back. IF we'll be back."

"What just a minute!" Buffy snapped. "You're leaving us for him? You are choosing a soulless killer over us?"

"I am not, as you so childishly put it, choosing anyone over anyone. My place is with him now." She looked from Xander to Buffy and then back again. "This is not up for discussion."

"You'll be sorry!" Buffy snarled and ran out of the house. 

"You'll change you mind." Xander spoke quietly before following Buffy.

Doyle watched Willow carefully. She seemed to be really exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally as well. He grabbed Cordelia's hand. "Come on, Princess, lets take a walk."

Cordelia, seeing Angel's desire to speak with Willow nodded.

Willow turned to Spike; "Can you go get that box. The one on my desk?"

When Spike had left, Angel took her hand firmly. "Are you sure about this? You don't have to leave. Do you know what you're getting into?"

Willow laughed softly at Angel's concern. "If you mean, do I know what it will be like to live with a master vampire, then the answer is yes. I do." She smiled. "I know the other's don't understand. They may never understand, but I hope that you can. Do you?"

"I'm not sure." Angel told her honestly. "You're soul is pure. I don't want it tainted, by Spike, or by the life you will be living. I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you're doing this. Why you're leaving. Leaving your home, your family, your friends, for him."

"I love him." She told him simply as if that explained everything. "My home is where he is. He is my family. As for my friends, what happened here tonight changed things. In a way that we can never fix. We can never get back to what was before."

"What did happen?" Angel asked. He was still unclear on what it was Buffy had done.

Willow sighed and sat down on the couch. "Do you know of the Lavate'? It lives between dimensions. Stuck, until a portal is opened, or a dimension becomes so weak as to allow its entry?" When Angel nodded, she continued. "Mavan, the demon Buffy killed, came from such a weakened dimension. His people were at the Lavate's mercy. He had erected shield, but they were growing weak. He came here, to our dimension to seek help. Additional power, to secure his dimension, and keep the Lavate' out."

"The Blood Rites ritual." Angel whispered. Willow nodded.

"Yes, but I found another ritual, one that would ensure that the soul wasn't necessary. We performed it here, tonight. Unfortunately Buffy found him before it could be complete. And with his death"

"The shields on his world were released, allowing the Lavate' access." Angel nodded in understanding. He felt his undead heart weep at the loss of all those lives.

"Yes. Had Buffy listened to me, none of that would have happened. The ritual would have been performed. Mavan's people would be safe."

"She couldn't have known." Angel protested.

"No, but she didn't have to know. She only had to trust me." Willow spoke sadly.

Angel walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. "You said you completed the ritual tonight, here? If I remember correctly the blood Rites ritual requires the blood of a Slayer, and a vampire that are bonded. And they must give their blood willingly. Was this the same?"

Willow smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes."

"Faith was the Slayer. Who was the vampire? Not Spike?"

"Not bloody likely!" Spike exclaimed coming down the stairs with an intricately carved wooden box.

Willow held out her hands for the box. Once she had it, she opened the box carefully and pulled a small jewelry box. She handed it to Angel. "She said you would understand."

Willow stood up led Spike back up the stairs, leaving Angel alone.

Angel opened the box slowly. He didn't know how, but he knew what was inside. He could almost picture in his mind before he actually saw it. When the lid was opened completely, he saw the soft cotton wrapped around the necklace. The chain was tarnished, showing it's age. The cameo was small, and old. A family heirloom, if he remembered correctly. Not that it mattered. Her family was all dead, killed by his hands. She had been wearing it when he killed her. Stole her life, and her sanity, and turned her into a creature. That's when he knew whom the bonded vampire was.

"Drusilla." He breathed her name as if it were a prayer, although prayers didn't help her then, nor would they help him now. What was done, was done. Nothing could change the past. Nothing could take back what he had stolen. That's when he realized what She had been trying to tell him. It was over, forgotten, forgiven even.

He had given the necklace to Drusilla shortly after he had embraced her. She had kept it all these years, as a remembrance. A reminded of what had been. What she had been, and what he had done to her. For her to have given it back could mean only one thing. It had been buried, along with the past. She had said goodbye to the young girl he had tormented, and accepted what she had become. What he had made her.

Angel grasped the necklace firmly as he left the house. 

***** 

Sunnydale 2006

"What?" Angelus scowled. "The vortex? Are you sure?"

Willow glared at Angelus and then turned to Drusilla. She seemed to have a faraway look in her eyes. "Dru? What is it?"

Drusilla turned and smiled. "She's coming. She'll be here soon. We can't start the party without her."

"Who, pet? The Slayer?" Spike asked cautiously. He really wasn't in the mood to entertain Slutty.

"My Slayer." Dru corrected.

Willow smiled as realization hit her. "When will she be here?" 

A violent pounding on the door interrupted Drusilla's answer. "Blondie, open up!!"

Willow giggled as she went to the door. "Speak of the devil." She stepped aside and let the brunette Slayer in the house.

"Red, you look good. Where's Dru?" Faith hugged Willow and then wondered into the house.

"Faith?" Angelus stood up and stalked towards the slayer. As he approached her, he inhaled deeply and recognized a scent he had never associated with her. He turned to Drusilla. "You're bonded to a Slayer?" He asked incredulously.

"You didn't know?" Anya asked from her place on the couch.

Angelus looked around the room. "Apparently, I'm the only one who didn't know. When did this happen?"

Spike chuckled. "That soul must have warped your memory."

Angelus searched him mind for some piece of information he had overlooked. His dark eyes widened with knowledge. "The spell? To save that demon?" He looked directly at willow. When she nodded, he turned back to Drusilla. You been bonded all these years?"

Drusilla smiled as she approached her mate and hugged her close. "You're late, Pet."

Faith shrugged. "Anyone can be on time, I like to make an entrance."

"That's it!" Willow slapped herself in the head mockingly. "I can't believe I was so stupid."

"What is it, Luv?" Spike asked, growing concern at the wild look in her eyes.

"Marcus!" Willow called towards the back of the house. A few seconds later Marcus entered the room.

"Yes, Mistress?"

"Call Peter. Tell him I was wrong. I have everything I need."

Marcus nodded and left the room. Willow turned around to the group, eagerly waiting for an explanation.

"The Lavate'." She told them mater of factly. She turned towards Anya. "You told me L'larion worked for a demon stuck between dimensions? He needs to open a portal so he can enter this world?" When Anya nodded, Willow turned towards Angelus. "See that's it. He brought you back, knowing how close you came all those years ago to opening the portal. He's hoping you'll do it again." S he spun around, everything becoming clear in her mind. "See, he expected you to return and pick up where you left off, but you won't."

"I won't?" Angelus asked, amused as he leaned back comfortably on the couch and pulled Anya onto his lap. He grinned when she didn't protest.

Willow turned to face the smirking Angelus. "No, you won't. He's expecting the same Angelus that terrorized this town nearly ten years ago. But you aren't the same, are you?" She raised an eyebrow at her mate's sire and continued. "You're not the Angelus from a decade ago, you're the Angelus from a century ago."

Angelus turned a stunned expression on Spike. "Spike, my boy, what have you been telling her?"

"Only the truth." He grinned.

"So, now that we know, what now? Kill this L'larion?" Faith asked as she flopped in one of the vacant chairs.

"No, I have a better idea." Willow grinned wickedly. We banish the Lavate, once and for all."

"Can you do that?" Anya asked skeptically.

"No, I can't. But we can." She told them confidently.

***** 

Buffy stood up and pulled Xander to his feet. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" He asked as he followed her out of the house.

"To see Willow. She was supposed to come buy, but I guess she found something more important to do. We need to talk to her. She knows something, and I say it's time she shared."

Xander nodded slightly and followed the Slayer down the street. He paused for a second, thinking he heard something. When nothing seemed to be lurking in the streets, he continued walking. After another minute he stopped again.

She isn't your Anya any more a voice whispered into his head. Willow has taken her away. If you're not careful, she'll take them all away

Xander shook his head of the thoughts that seemed to be invading his mind and ran to catch up with Buffy.

***** 

Buffy stopped dead in the middle of the street.

She's not your friend any more. She left you. Abandoned you. Chose a killer over you The voice whispered into her head.

Buffy spun around, trying to place the voice. "Did you say something?" She asked Xander. At the shake of his head, she continued walking.

She's evil, like them. She wants to open the vortex. She wants to finish what Angelus started

Buffy shook her head, remnants of her dreams coming back to her. "No!" She creamed as she started to run down the street, towards Spike and Willow's house.

**** 

L'larion laughed. These mortals were so easy to play. The Slayer and her friend would stop any plans the witch thought she could make. She wouldn't stop what was to come. The witch would be too busy fighting her friends to stop Angelus. He would fulfill his destiny. He would end the world.

***** 

"Red? What are you thinking?" Spike asked. 

Willow turned to face the group in general. "The Lavate's only connection to this realm is through L'larion. If we can kill him before he can open any portal's, the creature will die." She smiled, pleased with the answer she had come up with.

"But won't he just find another demon to serve him?" Faith asked as she jumped off of the couch. She was feeling antsy. She had nervous energy to burn, and she wasn't sure where it was coming from. 

"No." Anya answered as she watched the Slayer pace around the room. "The Lavate' relies on his link to the servant in order to survive." She looked to Willow for confirmation before continuing. "If I remember my demonology correctly, If the link is severed before a new one can be formed, the Lavate dies."

"Yep." Willow grinned. "So, if we can find L'larion, killing him will stop the demon."

"And how hard is the demon to kill?" Faith asked absently as she wound her way around the room.

"Faith? What's wrong?" Willow asked, concerned. By her very nature Faith was a busy person. She usually had a lot of energy to burn. But her bonding with Drusilla had calmed her down a lot. The only time Willow had ever seen her this agitated was before a fight.

Faith stopped and looked at the witch. She shook her head. "I don't know. I feel something's coming."

"Yes, pet. The Slayer. She's on her way here. With Anyanka's boy." Drusilla whispered.

"Xander? He's here?" Anya climbed out of Angelus' lap hastily, suddenly feeling at odds with the situation.

Angelus snatched her back into his arms. "Not so fast. Let the moron see what a real man can do." He whispered seductively in her ear.

"Why are they here?" Willow whispered, not wanting to face her old friends right now.

"He's been whispering to them." Dru's voice was lilting as she swayed her hips, as the stars whispered their truths to her. "He's been telling them lies." She stopped and turned to Willow. "He wants to stop you. He knows you can destroy him." She giggled uncontrollably and then turned to Faith, who was still pacing nervously about the room. "Lovey, it's almost time. Are you ready?" She asked as she pulled the slayer into her arms and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

Faith returned the kiss, her nerves calming as she felt Drusilla's presence in her mind. The two were oblivious to what was going on around them, which considering the tense situation, was relatively little. Anya had relaxed into Angelus' embrace, admitting to herself that her relationship with Xander was over, and probably had been for a long time. Willow leaned back against Spike, enjoying the feel of him as his arms wound tightly around her.

A fierce pounding on the front door interrupted the silence of the room.

Willow pulled away from her mate as she made her way towards the front door. When she opened it, Buffy and Xander stood there, looking confused and slightly out of breath.

"Buffy. Xander." Willow greeted. "What can I do for you?"

Xander didn't even acknowledge Willow's greeting as he pushed past her and ran into the living room. It only took him a few seconds to locate his quarry. Having done that, he froze, if only for a millisecond. Seeing Anya firmly planted in Angel's lap sent a wave of hatred through him.

"What the hell are you doing with Deadboy?" He demanded, glaring stakes at the vampire.

Angelus growled warningly.

***** 

Willow heard Xander's demanded and sighed. "Would you like to come in, Buffy?" She asked tiredly. She knew it was only a matter of time before they realized that Angel wasn't Angel anymore.

Buffy stared at Willow carefully before entering the house. Her Slayer senses were in overdrive, sensing vampires all around her. She turned to Willow. "A whole nest of evil undead guys I see."

Willow stared pointedly at the slayer, not taking the time to wonder when she had ceased being Buffy and started being the Slayer. "No, just family tonight and the occasional minion. Would you like some introductions?" 

Buffy shook her head slightly. "What happened to you?" She asked. She's evil. The voice whispered to her.

Willow stepped passed Buffy. "I grew up."

When the two entered the living room, Willow could still hear Angelus growling warningly, which had frozen Xander in place. Spike was watching the drama unfold with amused blue eyes, while Drusilla and Faith had drifted into the background in an effort to keep Faith as calm as possible. Willow could still feel the agitation coming off of the brunette Slayer, and wondered what it was that had her so upset.

"Angel?" Buffy asked incredulously as she stepped into the room.

Angelus turned to look at her, a smirk on his face.

Buffy shook her head. "No. No, it can't be." She turned to Willow. "Tell me it isn't true."

Before Willow could respond, Angelus laughed. It was a deep hearty laugh, without the cruel humor of his previous time in Sunnydale, although it still held a dangerous edge to it. As though at any moment he could kill any one of the people in the room. However that wasn't true, Willow realized. There were people in the room that he wouldn't hesitate to kill, but there were more people that he would kill for than people he would simply kill.

"I believe you've met my sire." Spike chuckled at the teary look on Buffy's face.

Buffy turned and glared at the blonde vampire. "Who did this?" S he turned to Anya. "You? You betrayed Xander and brought the monster back?" She paused as her mind tried to remember something. "I thought your soul was permanent?" She asked Angelus before turning to Willow. "Or was that a lie, too?"

There was something in the way Buffy spoke. Willow didn't know if it was the hatred in her eyes at the knowledge that Angelus was back, jealousy at the thought of someone else giving Angel that one moment of happiness, fear at what she thought was going to happen, or the betrayal she envisioned from her belief that Willow was responsible. Whatever it was, Willow didn't like it. She narrowed her eyes as she faced Buffy.

"Watch it, Slayer. You're in my home. You'd be wise to remember that." She paused and continued, her voice losing some of its edge. "His soul was secured. It required Magic to undo what we did."

"Magic?" Buffy asked, forming an idea. "So you are responsible?"

Willow shook her head and moved past Buffy and put herself between Angelus and Xander. She placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her away, stepping backwards to get away from them. 

"I don't know what happened to you, Willow. You're not who you used to be. You're barely even human." Xander turned and left the group in the living room. He stopped in the hall and turned around.

I want your stuff out of the apartment tomorrow." Xander told Anya and then left the house.

Buffy watched him go with sadness, then turned to Willow. "Why are you here? Why come back?"

"You called her, Slayer." Spike hissed.

Willow held up a hand to quiet her mate. She didn't want this to turn into a war, and if she had deciphered Drusilla correctly, L'larion was going to use Buffy to stop what they were trying to do. If they were to be successful she had two choices. Either to explain the situation to Buffy, and hope she would help them or to sever all ties with her old friends, and do what was necessary.

Willow's memory of Mavan's death told her that the Slayer wouldn't help. She would want to kill the demon, but when he exerted his control over her, she would crumble. He would use her own mind against her. And after seeing the way Buffy remembered things, Willow knew that it would be easy for her to be lead to a place that would get her killed.

The only option, if she wanted to ensure both Xander and Buffy's safety, as well as that of Giles and everyone else in Sunnydale was to finish what had started all those years ago. It wouldn't matter that Buffy believed she had changed so much. It wouldn't matter that Buffy believed she had chosen a killer over her friends. Buffy would stay alive, and that was all that was important. That and an end to some of the animosity she had felt over the past few years.

Willow leveled her gaze at Buffy. "I think it's time for you to leave." She nodded towards the door.

Buffy stared at her in shock. "You're kicking me out?"

Faith snorted from the corner of the room, cause Buffy to look up. She had been so surprised to see Anya and Angelus, that she had failed to notice the other Slayer.

"Faith?" She asked, stunned, as her eyes drifted to the woman Faith was with. "Drusilla." She turned to Willow. "What is that crazy bitch doing back here?"

Willow sighed and stepped away from Buffy as she saw Faith, out of the corner of her eye, make her way across the room. Faith pushed Buffy up against the side of the end table, nearly knocking her over. "Watch what you say about my girl, B." She put a slight pressure on her throat, where her hand was gripping it tightly. "I believe Red asked you to leave." She pushed Buffy harshly against the table and then let go.

By the time Buffy had regained her footing, Faith had returned to the corner of the room. She noticed Faith kiss Dru gently and nearly lost her balance. Angelus chuckled at her shock.

"I think you should leave." Willow whispered. "If you still want my help with deciphering your dreams, have Giles call me."

Buffy turned to look at Willow as she fingered the bruise that was forming on her throat. "Don't bother." She left the small group in the living room and nearly out the door. 

After she had left Willow looked around the room. "That went well." She remarked sarcastically.

**** 

Willow sat on the porch staring up at the sky. The sun was setting, soon it would be time for them to go looking for L'larion. She knew that he would try and stop them, using any means he could. She also knew that his best weapon would be her friends. He would try and get them to believe he was the victim. And she was the aggressor. She sighed deeply as she heard the door behind her open. She knew it was either Anya or Faith. The sun hadn't set enough for it to be anyone else.

"Red? You okay?" Faith asked as she sat down next to the witch.

Willow nodded. "It's almost time." She turned to look at the Slayer. "How are you? You seemed a little wound up last night."

Faith leaned back into the steps on the porch. "Five by five. I'll feel better when this is over. I don't like it here. Ever sense I woke up from that coma, Sunnydale gives me bad vibes."

"It's the bond." Willow acknowledged. "The hellmouth's evil permeates this place." She smiled wistfully. "But if we're successful, we can leave, and never came back I bloody well hope."

Faith grinned. "You do realize you've spent entirely too much time with Blondie?"

"Not nearly enough." Willow countered and then laughed.

Faith chuckled and then sobered as she remembered why they were back in Sunnydale. "Will they try and stop us?"

Willow took a deep breath. She was tempted to fake ignorance, if only for a second, but realized that wouldn't accomplish anything. "Buffy and Xander? Yeah, I think they will, but not through any fault of their own. L'larion has the ability to get inside their heads. He'll feed on their doubts and insecurities, feed on the feelings they may not even realize they have."

Faith quirked an eyebrow. "This is about what happened before, isn't it?"

Willow nodded and then burst of laughing. It wasn't a laugh full humor, but the hysterical laugh of one who realizes suddenly that everything they have done has been for nothing.

"Red?" Faith asked, growing concerned at her friend's hysterical laughter.

Willow gasped for breath, clutching at her side. "I'm sorry It's just" She took a deep breath and turned to the slayer. "I was just thinking about everything we went through before. All so Angel could keep his soul, and now here he is without it." She started giggling again.

Faith sighed and brought the witch into a hug. "That wasn't the only reason. What about Mavan, and his people?" As she felt Willow stiffen, Faith realized she had said the wrong thing.

Willow snorted. "And that worked out *so* well. An entire race of people dead, all because I failed!" She spat the words, her guilt consuming her.

"Enough!" Angelus roared from his position by the door.

Willow had been so lost in her memories she had failed to notice the sun finish setting. She didn't move, keeping her back to the vampire, not wanting to deal with him just yet. Despite the insanity of what had happened in the past decade she wasn't sorry that Angelus had lost his soul again.

Angelus motioned for Faith to go inside, and took her place on the steps next to Willow. He sat there in silence for a minute, waiting for her to say something. When she didn't, he turned her to face him.

"If I remember correctly, you warned the slayer to stay out of it, but her and the moron wouldn't listen. IF anyone is to blame, it's them." He paused. "And you do, don't you?"

Willow looked gaspingly at him, denying the truth of that statement, but then relented. "Maybe a little. The only thing I ever asked of them, that truly mattered, and they just ignored me, like it didn't matter. Like I didn't matter."

"And it was different then because?" He prodded, forcing her to think about what it was he was implying.

Willow sighed. "It's not. It wasn't. But for the first time, it mattered. This wasn't about me, and some selfish desire I had to gain attention. These were people. Okay, demons, but people nonetheless!" Willow's voice was rising, and she realized if she had been talking to anyone else, the ridiculousness of her statement would make her seem foolish. But it wasn't, this was Angelus. And while it was true she hadn't had a chance to get to know this incarnation, Angel, her friend, was still in there somewhere, and knew her well enough to know exactly what it was she was trying to say.

He chuckled. "So, problem solved. Will kill the moron and the Slayer before we go after L'larion." He smirked as he saw her brow furrow in thought. She was actually considering his suggestion. 

Then she shook her head. "No. As appealing as that sounds, it wouldn't solve anything."

They sat in silence for several minutes before Angelus spoke again. "I'm not going back." He turned to look at his Childe's mate. "I won't be resouled." He snarled.

Willow grinned at his force. There was a time when the anger in his eyes would have terrified her beyond belief, but not anymore. Too much had happened. It was in that one moment, that second when her mind grasped the way in which things had changed that Willow realized that there would be no going back. Things were different now. She couldn't change them. But even more, she didn't want to.

She stood up and pulled Angelus with her. "They missed you." She told him simply, acknowledging that he knew whom she was talking about. She walked past him and into the house.

She walked through the house quickly and made her way into the bedroom. Spike was pulling on his jeans. He looked at her with a touch of concern. "What is it, luv?"

Willow sat on the bed. "Take the boys hunting. When you get back, we'll go after L'larion."

"And Peaches? What of him?"

Willow grinned. "He can hunt for his own food, but if you insist on coddling him" Her words were cut off as Spike captured her lips in a fierce kiss. She relaxed into his embrace, letting her exhaustion seep out of her.

Spike pulled away reluctantly and swatted her on the ass as he left to go get some dinner. When she was alone in the room, Willow stared at the phone for several seconds. After she had heard the vampires leave the house for the evening hunt, Willow picked up the phone and dialed the hotel. 

"Hello?" A voice answered on the second ring.

"Delia?" Willow asked through the line. She waited for her old friend to respond.

"Willow? What what do you want?" She asked curiously.

"I called to warn you. Take Doyle and leave. There is nothing here for you not anymore." Willow implored the former cheerleader to listen.

After a long silence, Cordelia spoke. "He isn't coming back is he? Not like before?"

"No, Delia, he's not." Willow sighed. "But he won't come after you, if that's what you're worried about."

Cordelia smiled although she knew Willow couldn't see it. "I know. He's different. I could tell." She paused for a second before asking the question she wasn't sure she wanted an answer to. "What about the others? Giles? Xander? Buffy?"

Willow was quiet for a moment. "I'll warn Giles but after that" She trailed off, not wanting to express what exactly she feared might happen.

"Got it." Cordelia told her. "We'll leave. Willow? Take care of yourself and him." She spoke softly before hanging up the phone.

Willow hung up the phone and lay back against the bed. "Goddess, I hate this town!"

Anya snorted from the doorway. Willow looked up and gave her a sheepish grin. "Did I just say that out loud?" She asked before chuckling.

Anya came and sat on the bed next to her as Willow dialed Giles number.

"Giles? Willow." She spoke calmly, bracing herself for the question that would inevitably follow.

"Willow? Dear God, Buffy said is it true?" He asked nervously.

"About Angelus? Yes, it is. Giles, I'm sorry but" Her words were cut off as Giles interrupted.

"Angelus? What? I was talking about Anya. Buffy aid she left him for Angel? Is that right?" He paused as Willow's statement caught up to him. "What's this about Angelus? Dear lord, it isn't Angel she left Xander for is it? Angelus is back?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Willow sighed into the phone and silently cursed Buffy for her cowardice. "Yes, Angelus is back, but Anya didn't leave Xander for him. They had problems before this. But, Giles That isn't why I'm calling."

There was a dead silence before Giles spoke again. "Why are you calling?"

"I don't expect you to understand everything that's happened. I don't even expect you to listen to be, but it would be best for everyone concerned if you did. There's a demon in town. He wishes to open the vortex tot he demon dimension. That's why Angelus was brought back." She paused waiting for Giles to speak, when he didn't she continued. "We can, and will stop him, but if anyone gets in the way" 

"Willow, by anyone do you mean Buffy and Xander?" Giles asked tightly.

"Yes."

"And should they get in the way what will you do?" Giles voice had a harshness she had never associated with him before, although it wasn't unexpected.

"Do? Nothing unless it interferes with what needs to be done. I don't wish to harm them, any of you really." She paused. "But make no mistake, Giles Their misplaced anger about what happened before, it doesn't concern me. We've all made our choices. And regardless what you think, I don't regret mine."

She hung up the phone before Giles could respond.

"Well? Will he listen?" Anya asked.

Willow shrugged. "I don't know, but it is out of my hands now. If they get in the way they die."

***** 

Buffy awoke with a start. She shuddered violently as the memory of her dream came back to her. Leaping off the couch, she ran out of the house. She needed to find Willow, and stop her. She hadn't wanted to believe what she saw in her dream was true. But Buffy had come to realize that Willow wasn't the same girl she had known. She wasn't even really her friend anymore.

The Willow she had known would never have wanted to save that demon all those years ago, at the expense of anything else. The Willow she had known would never have run away with Spike. The Willow she had known would never have allowed Angelus into her house. She never would have become comfortable with the soulless demon. The Willow she had known was dead. This new version was someone she didn't understand, nor did she have any desire to do so.

And if her dream was accurate, Willow was going to be responsible for killing a lot of people if she didn't stop her. She didn't have any other choice. Buffy sighed as she ran down the street, in search of the place she had seen in her dream.

***** 

  
"The Slayer she'll come to stop you." Drusilla's lilting voice broke through the silence of the night.

Willow sighed. "I know, but it doesn't matter. If the demon survives, we all die." She stopped in the middle of the street and listened. Her eyes grew wide as she picked something out of the darkness. "Over there." She pointed to a grove of trees. 

The witch began walking towards her destination, every nerve in her body was screaming. She could feel the evil surrounding the demon like a shroud.

As they approached, the demon seemed to shift its weight from one foot to the other. It cackled in a bizarre mockery of a laugh.

"Witch, you are too late. You cannot stop us." L'larion turned his attention to Angelus and smiled widely. "He will help us. He has no choice now."

Angelus snorted at the demon's arrogance. "Why?" He asked, curious.

L'larion seemed puzzled for a second before laughing again. "Because it is your destiny. Because they do not want the world to end. Because we wish it."

Willow raised an eyebrow at the demon who was spouting off to Angelus about things he thought he understood when he reality he was completely clueless. She was about to tell him how wrong he was when Angelus burst out laughing. It was a full, deep laugh, one she was sure she could get used to hearing.

"I think you have me confused with my counterpart. I don't have a destiny." He took a step closer, startling the demon with his attitude. "I don't brood, I don't have any guilt for my atrocities," He chuckled slightly at the word, "I have nothing to atone for, and I don't" His voice had become harsh as his eyes glowed golden, "End the world for the benefit of people who aren't me."

The demon involuntarily took a step backwards. "I don't understand" He was confused.

Anya laughed bringing L'larion's attention to her.

"Anyanka. Explain." He had regained some of his composure and was glaring angrily at the former demon, an act he was going to regret immediately.

In one swift motion, Angelus had pushed the demon to the ground and was seconds away from snapping his neck when he spoke. "Apologize to the lady." He hissed between clenched teeth.

L'larion tried to turn his head to see Anya. She had this bewildered expression on her face, like she had missed some event, which would explain what was happening. He felt he had missed it too. 

Angelus' grip grew tighter, forcing air out of the demon's lungs, his face was turning a shade completely unhealthy for his breed. "I. Said. Apologize." Angelus reiterated.

"Enough." Willow stepped forward. "We don't have time for this." She placed a hand on Angelus' shoulder. He growled at her in response. She growled right back, her eyes glowing a dangerous shade of green, before relaxing into their natural color. "The Slayer is coming." She reminded him.

Angelus let the demon go and stepped back. He turned away from the small group and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Willow asked in exasperation.

"I'm hungry." He snarled from over his shoulder.

Willow shrugged and turned back to the demon. Spike had come to stand next to her. He held out an ornate knife, which intricate patterns engraved on the handle. She swung it around in front of the demon, making zigzag patterns in the air.

"Do you know what this is?"

***** 

  
Buffy ran as fast as she could through the streets of Sunnydale, hoping to get to willow before she was too late. When she reached the edge of the park, she had this odd sensation scrape across her senses. She could sense evil. Narrowing her eyes, she could make out a group of people near a section of trees. There was a man lying on the ground with a woman standing over him with a knife in her hand. When she got close enough, Buffy realized the woman was Willow.

"NO!" She shouted as she ran towards the group.

Willow heard the voice, but didn't stop as she drove the dagger deep into the man's chest, impaling his heart. A thick yellow liquid seeped out as the demon screamed in pain. Willow pulled the knife out before thrusting it in again, this time into his throat.

Buffy was trying to get through, to save the man from being brutally murdered by her former friend, but her attempts were in vain. She was being held in place by Faith. When she wouldn't stop struggling, Faith whispered in her ear. "If you don't stop, I'll hand you over to Blondie. He won't think twice about snapping your neck, despite what Red wants."

Buffy's eyes moved to Spike who was smirking at her in a way that made it obvious he had heard Faith's words. She swallowed and was about to speak when there was a loud clap of thunder just before the sky darkened even further.

Willow began chanting in a language Buffy wasn't entirely certain was even a language. After several long moments, the sky lit up as more thunder sounded and a flash of lightning hit a nearby tree, thereby splitting it down the middle.

Willow sunk to her knees, dropping the knife. Spike was at her side in an instant, pulling his sobbing love into his arms.

"It's done." She whispered in between shaking. She looked into his eyes. "It's over now. They are free."

Spike lifted her up into his arms and started carrying her away. Away from the site of this latest destruction. Away from a person who dared to judge her, away from the pain of her past.

****** 

Buffy stood in shock as she watched Willow being carried away. After several seconds the rest of the group followed her, leaving only Faith who was holding Buffy still, and Drusilla who was eyeing the blonde Slayer carefully.

The vampire approached Buffy and smiled slightly, but one look into those blue-gray eyes told her that she was no less dangerous now than she always had been.

"Slayer," She hissed. "You survive, only because my sister wishes it." She turned and walked away. When she had reached a tree several yards away she stopped, and waited for Faith to join her.

"B, take some advice, leave us alone. We don't play well with others." She smirked before turning away. 

Just as Faith was about to leave, Buffy caught her arm in a vice grip. "What happened?"

Faith turned around, her dark eyes glowing slightly, causing Buffy to release her in shock. Faith smirked as she reigned in her temper. She shrugged. "You'll have to ask Red. I'm just along for the ride."

Faith smiled sinisterly before turning around again and sprinting towards her waiting lover.

As Buffy watched them leave she was struck with the realization that she was completely clueless. She had no idea what had just happened, and unless Willow decided to speak to her, she most likely would never know.

***** 

Willow took a long look around at the room and her packed bags, making sure she hadn't left anything. She was planning on never coming back here again. When she had left the last time, she knew that things would be forever changed, but she could never have foreseen the change her life had undergone. But even still, she had the belief that her friends were still her friends. She no longer believed that. She had no friends anymore. Just family. It was a good family though. One she was glad to be a part of. 

"We're leaving." Anya spoke from the doorway. "We have a long way to go before sunrise."

Willow nodded and motioned for Anya to come inside. "Are you sorry? About everything that's happened? Before we came back your life was"

"Wrong." Anya finished for her. "Ever since Mavan died, things weren't the same between us. He couldn't see that despite my being mortal now, I wasn't, not truly. I could never be human after a thousand years as a demon." She looked closely at Willow.

"If Spike became human today. No more blood, no more death, no more carnage" He paused waiting for Willow's reaction.

Willow shuddered at the thought. "He'd still be Spike William the Bloody a killer. That wouldn't change. He wouldn't need the blood to survive, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't need it just the same."

"And you'd still love him?" Anya asked.

"Always." Willow replied without hesitation.

"Because it's him you love. Not who he was, who he might become, what's done who he's killed it doesn't matter, not to you." She sighed. "Xander and I, we never had that. I'm not really sure if we ever could have. I do know that right after I lost my powers, I wasn't ready for that."

"And now?"

Anya shrugged. "Who knows?" She stood up, pulling Willow to her feet for a hug. "We'll see you sometime." S he smiled and stepped forward conspiratorially. "Says he wants to visit Ireland. Old haunts and all that. Should I be worried?"

Willow laughed, imagining exactly what it was Angelus would want to see in his homeland. "With Angelus? Always worry." She grinned, as Anya seemed to get this faraway look in her eyes. "Nope, worrying is for people who have nothing better to doand I can think of a lot of other things I'd rather be doing." She hugged Willow one last time before leaving the room.

Willow looked around the nearly empty room and smiled sadly. She had loved this house when Spike bought it back when they had first started seeing each other in what felt like another lifetime ago.

"Marcus!" She called from the doorway. When the vampire appeared she pointed to her bags. "Make sure everything gets shipped. "I have an errand to run. Tell the master I'll be back shortly."

Willow left without even waiting for a reply. She did have one last errand to run before she left Sunnydale, for good.

***** 

Buffy had been a nervous wreck. It had been three days since Willow had killed that man. His body had disappeared when she had brought Giles with her to retrieve it, and she knew from her patrol's that Willow and spike's house was still occupied. She had seen Faith and Drusilla leave the night following their confrontation, but still believed Willow to be in town.

She was afraid that Willow and Spike had decided to remain ion Sunnydale. She didn't know if she could handle that. Willow was nothing like the Willow she had known, but she was still Willow. How would she deal with her former friend if she remained?

Her thoughts were interrupted, as there was a knock at the door. Buffy opened it and was surprised to find Willow standing on the other side.

"Will?" Buffy asked, stepping aside, allowing her old friend entrance.

"I think I owe you an explanation." Willow told her once she had sat down, "Although in all honesty, I'm not sure why."

Buffy sat across from her, not exactly sure what to say. "What happened to you? Where did my Willow go?"

Willow snorted and looked into Buffy's confused blue eyes. "I didn't go anywhere. I was always here. You just never really looked." S he sighed. "I didn't come here to talk about me, or why I've changed, as you seem to think."

"Why are you here, then?"

"The demon we killed last night, L'larion," Willow started, but was cut off by Buffy.

"We was a demon, then?"

Willow looked up at her, shocked. "Of course he was a demon! Don't go around killing just anyone." She snapped. She shook her head. "He worked for the Lavate'." She told him, wondering how much of the past she still remembered.

"The Lavate?" Buffy asked. The demon who was after the one I killed?"

Willow nodded. Yes. If I hadn't killed him last night, he would have opened a vortex into hell, and we'd all be dead."

Buffy stood up, a lot of things clicking into place. "He brought Angelus back, for that reason?" She asked. Willow nodded. "So then, he failed and Angelus is Angel again?"

Willow shook her head. "No. The spell he used to rid Angel of his soul was strong, and permanent. It won't be coming back, not ever."

"Oh" Buffy sank into the couch.

"They're gone though, so don't worry." Willow smiled slightly.

"They?" Buffy asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Willow ignored the question as she continued. "We'll be leaving as soon as I return. We won't be coming back."

Buffy nodded and then she asked the question that had plagued her since Willow's revelation about the dead demon.

"If you were the god guys, why not tell me? I could have helped.

Willow snorted again. "Oh yes, because that worked so well the last time." She turned to look Buffy in the eyes, her green orbs showing a coldness Buffy had never seen in them before. 

"Buffy, you're the Slayer, and by your very nature, you kill vampires and Demons, and I understand that. But, you don't have a fucking clue. This world," Her arms swept around to encompass everything, "Has so many creatures in it. Things that Giles books would tell you breed evil upon evil, but things I know are innately good. Creatures whose sole existence isn't about suffering, or death, or destruction. Creatures who want nothing more than to survive.

And yet, they are hunted, killed, obliterated from this world by slayers, and Watchers, and people who don't understand. She spat the words, as if it was venom invading her being.

She sighed as she tried to regain her composure. "It doesn't matter. Mavan is dead, his people obliterated by your foolishness. But that doesn't matter anymore either. The Lavate' has died, and with him dead, the souls he stole were freed. There's still evil out there, as there always will be, but your only hope is to open your eyes, see past the lies of black and white and into the gray."

Willow turned to walk away, when Buffy's voice stopped her. "Thank you."

Willow smiled as she walked out the door. Maybe the Slayer would survive after all.

***** 

"Well?" Spike demanded when Willow arrived back at the house.

Willow kissed him deeply, devouring his mouth with her own. "Let's go home." She told him when she pulled away.

Spike put his arm around her as he led her towards the car. "Sounds like a bloody brilliant plan to me!"

***** 

The End

  


  
  
  


   [1]: mailto:kylia_toreel@yahoo.com



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